UC-NRLF 


OF  THE 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


GIFT  OF 


Class 


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69 


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A 


THIS  IS  THE  THIRTEENTH 
EDITION. 


CAUGHT  IN  THE  ACT  ! 

*  Findlav  and  his  follow  through. 


HINTS 


TO 


GOLFERS 


BY  NIBLICK 


Published 

for  the  author,  O.  K.  Niblick, 
Boston,  Mass. 


Copyright,  1902. 
by  The  Salem  Press  Company. 


Entered  at  Stat'oner's  Hall, 

London,  England. 

All   rights  reserved 

Published,  1902. 

Printed  by 

The  Salem  Press  Company. 
Salem,  Mass. 


CONTENTS 


GOLF  IN  GENERAL         ...'..  i 

DRIVING 12 

CURVE  ON  THE  BALL 42 

THE  WIND  AND  HILLS        ....  51 

APPROACHING 58 

PUTTING 109 

THE  MENTAL  PART  OF  GOLF    .         .        .  126 

INDEX       ........  141 


Dedicated  to  Tom  Morris  and  Andrew 
Kirkaldy  of  St.  Andrews,  to  Willie  Fernie 
of  Leeds,  and  to  Joseph  Lloyd,  and  those 
other  professionals  in  the  United  States,  who 
have  tried  to  explain  to  me  the  secret  of 
success  in  golf.  A  golf  widow  and  these 
pages  is  the  result  of  their  mixup. 

NIBLICK. 


CHAPTER   I. 


GOLF    IN    GENERAL, 


Golf  is  probably  the  most  scientific  of 
all  out-door  games,  requiring  as  much 
accuracy  of  stroke  as  tennis  and  far  more 
judgment  than  cricket  or 
base-ball.  The  fascination 
which  makes  it  the  game 
of  all  games  is  that  the 
mental  as  well  as  the  physi- 
cal make-up  of  the  player 
enters  into  it,  no  man  ex- 
celling at  it,  no  matter  how 
mechanically  correct  he  may  play,  unless 
his  personal  characteristics  are  a  part  of 
every  stroke  he  makes.  No  other  game 
requires  such  a  variety  of  physical  and 
mental  adjustments,  and  no  other  game 
gives  so  complete  a  measure  of  the  whole 
man. 


1  By  the  Book.' 


Golf 


When  leather  golf  balls  were  used,  golf 
s  an  expensive  game  to  play  as  the  leather 


Golf  Balls. 


was  easily  cut  by  the  club  head.  Golf 
then  was  largely  a  game  of  the  nobility 
and  gentry  and  was  known  as  "The  Royal 
Game,"  often  being  played  in  no  less  dig- 
nified clothes  than  swallow-tail  coats,  knee 
breeches  and  tall  hats.  But  in  1848  came 
gutta  percha  balls  and  a  revolution  in  the 
game.  Not  only  did  the  guttas  cost  less 
and  last  longer,  but  they  went  further, 
and  it  was  soon  seen  that  after  the  balls 
had  become  cut  and  defaced  they  flew 
straighter.  This  led  to  their  being  nicked 
with  a  hammer  head.  Later  longitudinal 
cuts  were  made  as  these  cuts  seemed  to 
still  further  add  to  the  flight  of  the  balls. 
As  the  popularity  of  the  game  increased, 
hand  hammered  balls  were  given  up  and 
machine  moulded  ones  took  their  places, 
some  being  moulded  into  a  diamond  pattern, 
others  into  a  square  pattern,  and  others 
made  with  knobs,  these  latter  being  sup- 
posed to  offer  less  resistance  to  the  air,  and 
therefore  to  travel  further.  Why  indented 
balls  should  fly  further  than  smooth  one? 
has  never  been  satisfactorily  explained ; 
one  explanation  being  that  the  club  head 
catches  hold  of  a  roughened  surface 
better  and  another  that  the  indentations 
give  a  rotary  motion  to  the  ball  like  that 
given  to  the  rifle  ball  by  the  gun  barrel 


Purchasing  "Balls. 
3 

which  makes  it  cut  through  the  air  and  fly 
straighter. 

Purchasing  Balls. 

To  make  a  ball  fly  properly,  it  not  only 
must  have  a  certain  elasticity  but  a  certain 
compactness.  This  elasticity  and  com- 
pactness can  only  be  obtained  in  balls 
which  have  properly  seasoned,  as  a  ball 
too  old  loses  its  elasticity  and  flies  dead, 
and  in  a  newly  made  ball  the  vegetable 
matter  of  the  gutta  percha  is  not  old 
enough  to  make  it  compact.  To  get  the 
right  amount  of  elasticity  as  well  as  com- 
pactness, a  newly  made  ball  should  be 
kept  in  a  dark,  dry  place  until  it  has  sea- 
soned. 

In  purchasing  a  ball,  look  carefully  at 
the  moulding.  If  clean  cut,  the  ball  has 
been  well  pressed.  If  the  cuts  are  shallow 
and  indistinct,  the  mould  was  probably  worn 
out.  See  also  that  the  paint  has  not  filled 
the  nicking,  for  if  the  nicks  are  shallow, 
the  ball,  though  well  struck,  is  apt  to  duck. 
See  also  that  the  nicks  are  not  so  deep  that 
they  easily  become  clogged  with  mud  which 
makes  the  ball  lose  the  benefit  of  the 
nicking. 

As  both  the  size  and  the  weight  of  golf 
balls  differ,  it  is  a  question  of  individual 


Technical  Words. 

4 

preference  which  to  use,  the  heavier  balls 
being  the  best  for  putting  as  they  are  more 
liable  to  roll  true  on  the  putting  green,  and 
also  the  best  to  use  when  driving  against  a 
head  wind,  as  they  will  go  a  longer  distance 
than  the  lighter  ones.  On  the  other  hand 
the  lighter  balls  go  further  when  driving 
with  the  wind.  When  selecting  a  ball 
therefore,  see  what  figures  are  stamped 
upon  it. 

Technical  Words* 

The  handle  of  the  club  is  the  shaft  and 
the  part  bound  with  leather,  the  grip.  The 
other  end  of  the  club  is  the  head  ;  the  under 
portion  of  the  head,  the  sole ;  the  part 
which  comes  in  contact  with  the  ball,  the 
face  ;  and  the  slope  of  the  face,  the  spoon. 
The  word  spoon  is  also  used  when  referring 
to  the  length  of  the  face,  a  club  with  a  long 
head  being  called  a  long  spoon,  one  with 
a  medium  head  a  mid  spoon,  and  one  with 
a  short  head  a  short  spoon  ;  a  baffy  spoon 
being  a  short  handled  wooden  club  with 

O 

the  face  laid  well  back,  to  be  used  in  place 
of  a  lofting  iron.  The  end  of  the  head  is 
the  toe  or  nose,  and  the  part  nearest  the 
shaft  the  heel.  The  part  where  the  head 
joins  the  shaft  is  called  the  neck,  and  in 


Technical  Words. 
5 

iron  clubs  the  socket  into  which  the  shaft 
is  fitted  is  called  the  hose.  The  narrow 
part  where  the  head  is  glued  to  the  shaft 
is  the  scare,  and  the  twine  binding  the  head 
and  the  shaft,  the  whipping.  The  angle 
of  the  head  with  the  shaft  is  the  lie  of  the 
club,  and  the  position  of  the  ball  on  the 
ground,  the  lie  of  the  ball. 

The  stance  is  the  way  one  stands  when 
in  position  to  hit  the  ball.  The  teeing 
ground  is  the  space  within  which  the  ball 
must  be  teed,  the  tee  being  the  pinch  of 
sand  upon  which  the  ball  is  placed.  The 
fair  green  or  green  is  that  part  of  the 
course  between  the  teeing  ground  and 
the  putting  green.  The  putting  green  is 
the  ground  around  the  hole  and  it  is  called 
keen  when  the  ground  is  hard  or  the  turf  so 
close  knitted  that  the  ball  travels  quickly, 
and  dead  when  the  ground  is  heavy  or  the 
turf  so  clinging  that  it  retards  the  ball. 

Slicing  is  swinging  the  club  head  so 
that  it  strikes  the  ball  on  the  line  with  the 
hole,  but  while  swinging  from  right  to  left 
across  this  line  which  makes  the  ball  curve 
to  the  right.  Pulling  is  swinging  the  club 
head  in  a  similar  way  on  to  the  ball  from 
left  to  right  so  that  it  curves  to  the  left. 
Hooking  or  drawing  is  striking  the  ball  to 
the  right  of  the  line  between  the  ball  and 
the  hole  which  makes  it  fly  to  the  left. 


The  Driver. 


Topping  is  hitting  the  top  of  the  ball,  and 
sclaffing  or  baffing  is  hitting  the  ground 
behind  the  ball. 


The  Driver. 

The  driver,  which  is  used  to  get  dis- 
tance, is  the  longest  and  most  delicately 
constructed  club  in  a  golfer's  kit  and  is  the 
evolution  of  generations  of  experiments. 
Many  golfers  carry  two  drivers,  one  with 
a  stiff  shaft  and  the  face  squarely  up  and 
down,  to  be  used  when  one  wants  to  keep 
the  ball  low,  and  another  with  a  spoon  face 
to  sky  the  ball  when  playing  with  the 
wind. 

For  the  shaft  of  a  driver  nothing  is 
better  than  hickory j  split  hickory  being 
preferable  to  the  sawed,  because  more 
elastic  and  therefore  sending  the  ball  fur- 
ther. For  the  head  of  a  driver  well  sea- 
soned beech  is  best,  as  it  is  more  elastic 
and  sends  the  ball  further  than  one  of  hard 
wood,  and  if  the  grain  runs  towards  the 
face,  the  head  will  not  split  away  as  quickly 
as  when  the  grain  runs  lengthwise  with  the 
head.  In  purchasing  a  driver  see  that  the 
shaft  is  of  such  a  length  and  at  such  an 
angle  with  the  head  that  the  sole  is  flat  on 
the  ground  when  standing  in  the  proper 
position  for  the  swing. 


The  Driver. 
7 
Weight,  Balance,  and  Spring. 

In  purchasing  a  driver  one  must  con- 
sider the  amount  of  suppleness  and  flexi- 
bility in  the  shaft  and  also  where  that 
flexibility  is  located.  A  fine,  steely  spring 
is  what  is  wanted  ;  or  just  enough  spring 
in  the  six  to  nine  inches  above  the  whipping 
to  feel  the  shaft  give  when  the  club  head 
strikes  the  ball.  To  get  the  proper  amount 
of  spring,  much  depends  upon  the  weight 
of  the  head,  a  heavy  head  giving  the  right 
amount  of  flexibility  to  a  stiff  shaft,  and 
too  much  flexibility  to  a  limber  one.  The 
head,  however,  should  not  be  so  heavy 
that  it  makes  one's  natural  swing  drag,  or 
so  light  that  the  strength  which  might  have 
been  put  into  the  swing  is  partly  lost  and 
the  club  checked  with  its  concussion  with 
the  ball.  By  the  principle  of  the  lever,  the 
longer  the  shaft  the  heavier  practically  is 
the  head ;  and  for  this  reason  one  who 
uses  a  short  shaft  generally  plays  with  a 
heavier  head  than  one  who  uses  a  long 
shaft.  This  weight  of  the  head,  in  con- 
nection with  the  length  of  the  shaft,  is 
what  is  called  the  balance  of  the  club  and 
this  factor  must  be  considered  before  decid- 
ing if  the  club  has  the  right  amount  of 
spring  and  if  the  spring  is  in  the  right 
place.  In  picking  out  a  driver  see,  there- 
fore, that  the  club  has  the  proper  lie  ;  that 
it  is  properly  balanced  to  vour  style  of 


The  'Bulger. 

8 

swinging;  and,  if  these  two  conditions  are 
right,  that  it  has  the  proper  amount  of 
spring  and  that  this  spring  is  near  the 
whipping.  Remember  that  if  your  swing 
is  slow,  there  should  be  enough  weight  in 
the  head  to  make  up  for  loss  in  velocity ; 
also  that  the  common  error  is  in  having  too 
heavy  rather  than  too  light  a  head.  See, 
too,  that  the  shaft  is  not  too  flexible,  the 
best  golfers  using  rather  stiff  shafts  because, 
with  much  spring  in  the  shaft,  there  is  less 
certainty  of  hitting  the  ball  true. 


The  Bulger. 

The  bulger  is  a  driver  with  the  face 
convexed  like  a  cricket  bat,  this  convex 
face  being  thought  to  prevent  a  sliced  ball, 
if  hit  on  the  heel,  flying  to  the  right.  By 
the  laws  of  dynamics,  the  direction,  taken 
by  a  ball,  depends  not  only  upon  the  direc- 
tion from  which  the  impetus  comes  but  also 
upon  the  angle  at  which  the  face  of  the 
club  strikes  the  ball.  When,  therefore,  a 
ball  is  hit  at  such  an  angle  that  it  is  given 
a  left  to  right  spin  or  is  sliced,  the  spin 
sends  it  to  the  right,  and  because  most 
golfers  who  slice  a  ball  generally  hit  it  on  the 
heel,  the  bulger  was  devised  in  order  to  get 
the  resultant  of  the  two  forces  and  send  the 
ball  straight,  a  bulging  face  preventing  a 


The  Brassy. 


heeled  ball  that  has  been  sliced  flying  to 
the  right. 


a    a   a 


a — the  direction  in  which  the  ball  will  fly  when  sliced. 
b  — the  direction  when  hit  on  a  convex  face  without  the  slice. 
c — the  resultant  of  the  two  tendencies  when   the  bulger  is 
used  and  the  ball  is  sliced. 


The  Brassy. 

The  brassy  is  a  driver  which  is  used 
when    the    ordinary  driver    cannot   get    at 


The  Cleek. 

10 

the  ball.  As  good  golfing  with  a  brassy 
means  clipping  the  grass  behind  the  ball, 
the  shaft  should  be  shorter  and  stifFer  than 
the  shaft  of  the  driver.  One  should, 
however,  only  use  a  brassy  when  no  other 
club  will  do  as  well,  as  the  brass  sole  puts 
too  much  weight  at  the  bottom  of  the  head 
and  the  screws  which  keep  the  sole  in  posi- 
tion take  away,  to  some  extent,  its  resilient 
and  driving  qualities.  When  it  is  neces- 
sary to  use  a  brassy  on  rough  ground,  or 
when  the  lie  is  hard  and  cuppy,  the  club 
head  should  be  barTed  behind  the  ball. 
When  making  a  long  approach  shot,  the 
brassy  is  often  a  desirable  club  to  use  with 
a  half  swing  ;  but  it  is  too  often  used  on  the 
fair  green  when  a  driver  would  be  a  better 
club,  as  the  driver  not  only  gives  greater 
distance  but  because  so  frequently  used  is 
more  sure  of  hitting  the  ball  as  it  should. 

The  Cleek. 

The  cleek  is  a  club  used  not  only  to 
get  distance  when  the  ball  has  such  a  lie 
that  a  brassy  cannot  get  at  it,  but  also  in 
the  dangerous  distance  of  approach  when 
neither  a  driver  nor  an  approaching  iron 
could  be  safely  used,  the  one  sending  the 
ball  too  far  and  the  other  not  far  enough. 

Because  the  cleek  should  strike  well 
under  the  ball,  the  lower  part  of  the  blade 
is  made  heavy  that  the  force  of  the  blow 
will  be  as  low  as  possible,  some  cleeks 


The  Cleek. 


ii 


being  made  with  the  weight  massed  at  the 
centre  of  the  blade  in  order  to  get  the 
power  at  one  point,  the  club  being  bal- 
anced by  having  a  shortened  socket.  As  a 
cleek  should  graze  the  ground,  the  shaft  is 
made  stiffer  than  the  shaft  of  a  driver  or 
brassy  and  because  the  shaft  is  shorter  and 
is  set  nearer  a  right  angle  with  the  head  of 
the  club,  one  should  stand  nearer  the  ball. 
Often  in  making  a  cleek  shot  the  club  head 
has  to  dig  into  the  ground  behind  the  ball 
with  a  jerk.  This  jerk,  however,  adds  to 
the  elasticity  of  the  iron  and  because  the 
ball  travels  further  than  if  it  had  been 
squarely  struck,  many  golfers  play  all  their 
cleek  shots  in  this  way.  In  playing  against 
the  wind,  a  cleek  is  often  used  with  a  half 
swing  as  it  keeps  the  ball  low  and  gives  it 
great  running  power. 


abc 


I    2  3 

1  —  position  of  ball  when  using  the  driver. 

2  —  position  of  ball  when  using  the  brassy. 

3  —  position  of  ball  when  using  the  cleek. 
a  a  —  sweep  of  the  driver. 

bb  —  sweep  of  the  brassy. 
cc  —  sweep  of  the  cleek. 


CHAPTER   II. 


DRIVING. 

Driving,  which  is  the   most  fascinating 
part    of  golf,  is  the  most   difficult  part  of 
the  game  to  master,  not  only  because  the 
momentum  of  the  body  and 
every  muscle  must  enter  into 
the      stroke,     but    because 
everything     must    work    in 
rhythmical  harmony  without 
a   discord  or  break  in   any 

Now  for  a  nasty  jar! 

movement. 

To  get  the  greatest  power  into  the  stroke 
the  swing  must  be  in  as  large  a  circle  as 
possible,  because  the  law  of  physics  is  that 
the  larger  the  circle  the  greater  will  be 
the  momentum.  With  a  short  club  and 
standing  over  the  ball,  one  necessarily 
swings  in  a  small  circle,  the  size  of  the  circle 
increasing  with  the  length  of  the  club,  and 
the  further  away  from  the  ball  one  stands. 
To  use  as  long  a  club  as  one  can  comfort- 
ably and  to  get  as  long  a  swing  as  possible 

(12) 


The  Stance. 


without  its  being  cumbersome  is,  therefore, 
the  basis  of  the  driving  stroke. 


Teeing  the  Ball. 

To  make  a  good  tee  is  one  of  the  fine 
arts  of  golf.  Use  as  little  sand  as  possible 
and  with  the  fingers  pinch  it  into  a  delicate 
spiral  only  a  little  above  the  ground,  as  a 
high  tee  affects  one's  strokes  through  the 
fair  green.  The  top  of  this  tiny  pyramid 
flatten  down  with  the  palm  of  the  hand  to 
prevent  the  ball  cupping  itself;  as  the  one 
thing  in  golf,  as  in  everything  else,  is  to 
diminish  friction. 


THE  STANCE. 

To  drive  a  ball  so  that  it  will  get  dis- 
tance, one  must  swing  the  club  properly, 
which  can  only  be  done  by  having  a 
proper  stance.  All  golfers  know  what  "a 
proper  swing"  means,  and  those  who  have 
not  played  the  game  from  infancy  know 
how  next  to  impossible  it  is  to  get  this  swing. 
If  it  were  only  necessary  to  make  the  club 
head  describe  a  circle,  it  would  be  an 
easy  thing  to  do,  but  the  St.  Andrews  golfers 
long  ago  demonstrated  that  an  ellipse  gives 
the  longest  swing  and  consequently  puts 
the  greatest  amount  of  momentum  into  the 
stroke. 


a  —  beginning  of  forward  swing. 
b — end  of  forward  swi^g. 
abed — the  forward  swing  in  a  circle  before 

the  concussion  with  the  ball. 
abed  —  the  forward  swing  in  an  ellipse  before 

the  concussion  with  the  ball. 
The  distance  a  b  e  d  is  greater  than  abed. 

To  swing  the  club  head,  so  that  it  will 
describe  an  ellipse,  one  must  not  only  stand 
in  a  certain  position  but  must  so  hold  the 
shaft  in  the  hands  that  the  rhythmical  mo- 
tion of  the  body,  the  arms  and  the  legs  will 
not  be  disturbed.  It  is  because  of  these 
different  attributes  of  a  golfing  swing,  each 
one  of  which  must  come  naturally  and  as 
an  unconscious  part  of  the  whole,  that  it  is 
so  difficult  to  master.  The  eye  cannot  be 
watching  the  different  movements,  but  must 
be  on  the  ball.  The  mind  cannot  be  con- 
sidering any  of  them  or  the  rhythm  of  some 
part  will  be  lost.  Everything  must  be 
automatic  and  the  swing  made  with  so 
much  art  that  it  conceals  the  art.  To  learn 


Position  of  the  Feet. 
i5 

it,  a  dozen  years  may  be  necessary  and  a 
dozen  more  to  forgetthatit  has  been  learned  ; 
therefore,  unless  one  is  willing  to  give  such 
an  endless  amount  of  practice  to  acquiring 
it,  so  that  it  becomes  a  second  nature,  one 
need  never  expect  to  be  a  golfer. 

The  Proper  Distance  to  stand  from  the  Ball. 

With  every  player  the  distance  varies 
according  to  the  length  of  his  club.  If  one 
stands  too  near,  the  swing  is  cramped  and 
if  too  far  away,  one  loses  accuracy  by  being 
obliged  to  bend  forward.  For  a  beginner 
a  good  rule  to  follow  is  to  stand  at  such  a 
distance  from  the  ball  that,  when  holding 
the  end  of  the  shaft  against  the  left  knee,  the 
toe  of  the  club  will  touch  the  ball.  This 
distance  will  vary  but  little  from  the  one 
naturally  taken  when  one  takes  the  position 
instinctively. 


The  Position  of  the  Feet  in  Reference  to  the 
Line  of  Flight. 

The  feet  should  be  far  enough  apart  for 
one  to  feel  that  he  is  standing  firmly  on  the 
ground,  some  golfers  standing  with  both 
feet  the  same  distance  from  the  line  of  flight, 
which  is  known  as  "standing  square  ;"  some 
with  the  right  foot  nearer  the  line  of  flight, 
which  is  known  as  "standing  open  ;"  and 


Driving. 

16 

some  with  the  left  foot  nearer  the  line  of 
flight,  which  is  known  as  "  standing  in 
front." 

Standing  square.  Standing  open. 


Standing  in  front. 

In  taking  the  stance,  the  further  back 
the  right  foot  is  from  the  line  of  flight  the 
longer  will  be  the  backward  swing,  and 
consequently  greater  momentum.  Further, 
with  the  right  foot  back  of  the  left,  when  the 
weight  of  the  body  shifts,  with  the  back- 
ward swing,  from  the  left  to  the  right  foot, 
the  lifting  of  the  left  heel,  in  order  to  get 
as  long  a  backward  swing  as  possible, 
comes  as  a  natural  sequence  and  a  part  of 
the  rhythm  of  the  swing  ;  while  with  the 
weight  equally  on  both  feet,  or  partly  on 
the  right  foot,  the  raising  of  the  left  heel 
becomes  a  separate  movement,  and  may 


Turning  the  Feet  Out. 
17 

not  be  in  rhythm  with  the  swing.  Further, 
by  standing  square  or  standing  openthe  club 
in  the  backward  swing  has  to  come  up  more 
vertically  as  the  arms  cannot  stretch  out  as 
far  as  when  standing  in  front,  and  with  the 
forward  swing  the  club  head  consequently 
travels  a  less  distance  along  the  line  of 
flight.  The  correct  position,  then,  is  to 
have  the  left  foot  nearer  the  line  of  flight 
than  the  right. 

But  whichever  position  is  taken,  the  ball 
should  be  hit  squarely,  and  the  swing  made 
not  by  swaying  the  body,  but  by  turning 
it;  the  head  not  moving,  because  the  ver- 
tical position  of  the  body,  if  once  changed 
by  swaying  backward  with  the  backward 
swing,  will  not,  when  the  ball  is  struck, 
be  in  the  position  which  was  taken  when 
addressing  the  ball.  See,  therefore,  during 
the  swing,  that  the  head  is  held  as  if  bolted 
and  riveted  in  the  position  taken  when  the 
stroke  began. 

Turning  the  Feet  Out. 

With  the  backward  swing,  the  weight  of 
the  body  shifts  from  the  left  leg  to  the  right. 
If  therefore  one  stands  with  the  left  foot  at 
a  right  angle  to  the  line  of  flight,  the  left  heel 
as  it  lifts  with  the  turning  of  the  body  turns 
from  the  body,  and,  as  this  outward  turn- 
ing of  the  heel  allows  the  left  leg  to  stretch, 
it  gives  the  body  an  opportunity  to  sway  a 


^Driving. 

18 

little  with  the  backward  swing  without  dis- 
turbing the  equilibrium.  This  slight  sway- 
ing movement,  because  unconscious,  is 
fatal  to  the  swing  as  it  changes  the  arc  of 
the  ellipse  enough  to  prevent  hitting  the 
ball  true.  But  with  the  left  foot  pointing 
towards  the  hole,  there  can  be  no  swaying 
as  the  left  leg  cannot  stretch  with  the  back- 
ward swing  without  losing  the  equilibrium. 
Further,  with  the  left  foot  pointing  towards 
the  hole,  the  weight  of  the  body  as  it  over- 
balances with  the  forward  swing,  comes 
naturally  upon  the  ball  of  the  foot  and  not 
upon  the  side  of  the  foot  and  ankle,  which, 
because  unnatural,  is  liable  to  affect  the 
rhythmical  movement  of  the  swing.  For 
the  same  reason  the  right  foot  should  be 
pointing  well  to  the  right,  so  that  with  the 
backward  swing  the  right  ankle  will  not 
get  an  unnatural  twist. 

The  Position  of  the  Ball  in  reference  to  the 
Feet. 

Some  golfers  stand  with  the  ball  oppo- 
site the  right  foot,  others  with  it  opposite 
the  centre  of  the  body,  others  with  it 
opposite  the  left  foot  and  others  with  it  to 
the  left  of  the  left  foot. 

Whichever  position  is  taken,  the  club 
head  in  swinging  in  an  ellipse  travels  along 

the  ground   a  considerable  distance  before 
& 

it  passes  the  body,  and  the  ball,  whether  it 
is  opposite  the  right  foot  or  to  the  left  of  the 


Position  of  the  Ball. 

left  foot,  will  be  hit  while  the  club  head  is 
moving  along  the  line  of  flight.     With  the 

0  0  Q 

0 


1    \    \ 


The  figures  in  this  and  the  following  diagrams 
are  only  to  show  the  approximate  distances  for 
the  average  player  and  the  relative  distances 
for  the  different  positions. 

ball  to  the  left  of  the  left  foot,  however,  the 
club    head    travels   the     greatest    distance 


Driving. 


20 


before  it  reaches  the  ball ;  and  the  ball,  con- 
sequently, will  receive  the  greatest  amount 
of  momentum .  Further,  with  the  ball  in  this 
position,  if  one  swings  properly  and  at  the 
moment  the  club  is  passing  the  body  the 
left  leg  is  carrying  the  weight  of  the  body, 
the  momentum  of  the  swing  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  throw  the  body  forward  without 
an  effort.  Every  real  golfer  knows  what 
this  delicate  overbalancing  of  the  body 
means;  and,  to  appreciate  how  great  this 
additional  power  is,  one  need  only  recall 
with  what  force  the  body  can  be  thrown 
against  a  closed  door  to  open  it.  Indeed, 
Willie  Park,  the  senior,  one  of  the  longest 
drivers  that  ever  lived,  used  to  throw  his 
body  forward  to  such  an  extent  that  to 
regain  his  balance  it  was  necessary  for  him 
to  step  forward  on  the  right  foot.  Further, 
by  standing  with  the  ball  to  the  left  of  the 
left  foot,  one  keeps  the  ball  low,  as  the  ball 
is  struck  as  the  club  head  is  rising  from 
the  ground  and  in  this  way  it  is  given  that 
forward  spin  which  keeps  it  from  going 
into  the  air. 


Forward  spin  given  the  ball, 


Summary  of  Stance. 
21 

The  correct  position,  then,  is  to  stand 
with  the  ball  to  the  left  of  the  left  foot. 
To  hit  the  ball  squarely,  however,  when 
standing  in  this  position,  is  a  difficult  thing 
to  do;  because,  if  the  body,  as  it  loses  its 
balance,  does  not  keep  the  same  relative 
position,  the  ball  will  be  either  heeled  or 
toed,  topped  or  sclafFed,  sliced  or  pulled. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  the  ball  is  opposite 
the  right  foot,  one  is  apt  to  top  it.  The 
safest  position,  then,  is  to  stand  with  the 
ball  opposite  the  centre  of  the  body. 

Summary  of  the  Stance. 

The  true  stance,  then,  is  to  have  the 
ball  to  the  left  of  the  left  foot,  the  feet 
firmly  planted  on  the  ground,  the  left  foot 
nearer  the  line  of  flight  than  the  right, 
both  feet  pointing  well  out,  and  the  knees 
bending  a  little  so  that  the  suppleness  of 
the  body  will  give  more  elasticity  to  the 
swing  and  add  power  to  the  stroke. 


The  proper  stance. 


"Driving. 

22 
HOLDING    THE  CLUB. 

In  driving,  one  should  not  check  the 
swing  with  the  concussion  of  the  club  head 
with  the  ball  It  is  not  hitting  the  ball  as  a 
hammer  hits  a  nail,  but  sweeping  the  club 
head  on  to  the  ball,  or  a  "swipe,''  as  it  is 
sometimes  expressively  termed,  the  stroke 
increasing  in  velocity  as  the  club  head  comes 
forward  and  having  its  greatest  speed  at  the 
moment  of  contact  with  the  ball.  Because 
it  is  a  sweep  and  not  a  hit,  the  way  the 
club  should  be  held  in  the  hand  is  an 
important  factor,  some  players  holding  the 
shaft  in  the  left  hand  and  guiding  it  with 
the  righthand,  while  others  hold  it  firmly  in 
both  hands.  Holding  it  wholly  in  the  left 
hand  and  guiding  it  with  the  right  gives 
more  elasticity  to  the  shaft  with  the  concus- 
sion, while  with  a  firm  grip  with  both  hands 
one  gets  more  control  over  the  club  and 
brings  into  better  play  the  muscles  of  the 
right  arm.  But,  in  whichever  way  the  club 
is  held,  the  right  hand  should  be  below  the 
left  so  that,  with  the  backward  swing,  the 
left  arm,  which  has  the  longest  distance  to 
travel,  may  have  the  shortest  arc  to  travel 
through. 

The  Grip. 

i.  Grasp  the  shaft  a  few  inches  down 
the  leather  in  order  to  control  the  swing 
better. 


The  Grip. 


2.  Hold  the  shaft  in  the  left  hand  in 
that  part  of  the  palm  next  the  thumb,  the 
hand  being  enough  over  to  have  the  V-- 
shaped part  of  the  hand  between  the  thumb 
and  forefinger,  on  a  line  with  the  top  of  the 
shaft  when  the  hand  is  closed,  the  fingers 
being  grasped  tightly  around  the  shaft  and 
the  thumb  across  it  in  order  to  get  the  firm- 
est grip.  With  the  left  hand  in  this  position, 
the  wrist  joints  do  not  become  cramped 
when  the  club  rises  over  the  right  shoulder. 


3.  If  the  club  is  to  be  held  loosely 
in  the  right  hand,  it  should  be  laid  across 
from  the  upper  joint  of  the  first  finger  to  the 
lower  joint  of  the  little  finger,  the  hand 
being  enough  over  to  have  the  V-shaped 
web  nearly  on  a  line  with  the  top  of  the 
shaft,  the  right  thumb  being  laid  loosely 
across  the  shaft  and  against  the  forefinger. 

&  2"5 

This  grip  allows  the  shaft  to  fall  back  into 


Driving. 


24 


the  V-shaped  web  with  the  backward  swing 
and  against  the  forefinger  with  the  forward 
swing,  which  gives  elasticity  to  the  club 
with  the  concussion. 


4.  If  the  club  is  to  be  held  firmly  in 
the  right  hand,  it  should  be  held  either  with 
the  shaft  close  to  the  base  of  the  thumb, 
with  the  thumb  across  the  shaft,  and  with 
the  hand  far  enough  under  to  have  the  first 
and  second  joints  of  the  fingers  uppermost 


The  Grip. 
25 

when  the  hand  is  closed.  Or  it  should  be 
held  with  the  shaft  in  the  palm  of  the  right 
hand  next  the  ringers,  the  thumb  diagonally 
across  the  top  of  the  shaft  when  the  hand 
is  closed  and  the  hand  only  enough  over 
to  have  the  first  joints  of  the  fingers  upper- 
most. With  the  first  grip,  one  is  able  to 
put  all  the  strength  of  the  right  arm  muscles 
into  the  swing,  and  with  the  second  grip 
one  gets  a  freer  movement  of  the  right 
wrist. 


5.  As  the  backward  movement  of  the 
wrist  is  never  as  great  as  its  forward  move- 
ment, and  as  the  backward  movement  of 
one  wrist  has  to  work  in  unison  with  the 
forward  movement  of  the  other,  whichever 
grip  is  taken  both  hands  should  be  held 
close  together  because  the  further  the  hands 
are  apart  the  less  the  wrists  can  work 


Driving. 


26 


together,  as  the  difference  of  the  arc  through 
which  the  wrists  have  to  travel  increases  as 
the  hands  separate.  Many  drivers,  there- 
fore either  overlap  or  interlock  the  left  hand 
with  the  right  in  order  to  have  the  wrists 
as  near  together  as  possible. 


Suggestions. 

By  relaxing  the  grip  of  the  right  hand 
with  the  concussion  one  gets  that  snappy 
movement  so  necessary  for  a  long  drive. 

By  holding  the  face  of  the  club  at  an 
acute  angle  with  the  ground,  the  face  comes 
in  contact  with  the  ball  at  such  an  angle 
that  the  ball  is  kept  low,  and  when  playing 
with  a  loose  grip  with  the  right  hand,  this 
is  best  done  by  gripping  with  the  left  hand 
further  over  than  ordinarily  ;  and  when  play- 
ing with  a  tight  grip  with  both  hands,  it  is 


Suggestions. 


27 


best  done  by  having  the  right  hand  further 
under. 


When  the  face  of  the  club  is  turned 
back,  it  comes  in  contact  with  the  ball  at 
such  an  angle  that  it  sends  the  ball  into  the 
air.  When  playing  with  a  loose  grip  with 
the  right  hand,  this  is  best  done  by  gripping 
with  the  left  hand  not  so  far  over  as  ordi- 
narily, and  when  playing  with  a  tight  grip 
with  the  right  hand  by  having  the  right 
hand  further  over. 


Driving. 

28 

ADDRESSING    THE  BALL. 

Addressing  the  ball ,  or  the  position  taken 
before  making  the  swing,  not  only  means 
the  position  of  the  body  and  the  feet,  the 
bend  of  the  knees  and  the  weight  of  the 
body  on  the  legs,  but  also  the  way  in  which 
the  shoulders,  the  arms,  and  the  elbows 
are  held. 

1.  The    body    should    bend    slightly 
forward  but  naturally  and  without  stiffness, 
the  knees  bending    enough  to    be  "sitting 
down  to  the  stroke,"  the  feet  having  a  firm 
hold,  and  the  hips,  knees,  and  ankles  hav- 
ing free  play. 

2.  The  shoulders    should    be   loosely 
jointed    so  that  with    the  swing    the    left 
shoulder    can   swing   down     as    the    right 
shoulder  rises  and  the  right  shoulder  swing 
down  as  the  left  shoulder  rises. 

3.  The  right    elbow  should    be    held 
fairly  close  to  the  body  and  the  left  elbow 
well  out  so  that  the  left  arm  will  not  touch 
the  body  with  the  backward  swing.      To 
get   this    position  easily,   address  the  ball 
with  the  shaft  not  opposite  the  body  but  to 
the  left  of  the  left  hip. 

THE  PRELIMINARY   WAGGLE. 

To  satisfy  yourself  that  the  whole 
machinery  of  the  body  is  properly  adjusted, 
to  feel  that  the  wrists,  arms,  and  shoulders 


J*  F 


"^S/rv 

£W°r_ 

Preliminary  Waggle. 

29 

are  working  freely,  that  the  left  leg  is 
carrying  easily  the  weight  of  the  body,  and 
that  the  feet  are  firmly  on  the  ground, 
swing  the  club  over  the  ball,  perhaps  a 
foot  and  a  half  in  front  of  it  and  about 
three  feet  back  of  it.  In  making  this  pre- 
liminary swing  over  the  ball,  raise  the  club 
by  lifting  the  arms  and  never  by  raising  the 
club  by  the  wrists  alone,  as  this  changes  the 
angle  of  the  shaft  to  the  ball.  After  the  wag- 
gle, the  club  head  should  rest  for  a  moment 
on  the  ground  behind  the  ball,  the  maker's 
name,  which  is  in  the  centre  of  the  head, 
showing  where  the  club  head  should  strike 
the  ball  and  being  stamped  at  a  right  angle 
to  the  face  showing  whether  the  face  is 
squared  to  the  ball  and  the  hole. 

With  the  club  head  resting  behind  the 
ball,  the  test  of  the  golfer's  makeup  now 
begins.  Now  it  will  be  proved  whether  his 
mental  calibre  is  such  that  he  can  unite  all 
the  forces  which  are  to  give  power  to  the 
stroke  into  a  rhythmical  movement  and  an 
harmonious  whole,  or  whether  there  will 
be  such  a  lack  of  concentration  that  some 
force  wall  drag  and  make  a  discord.  By 
will  power  alone  the  golfer  must  now  put  all 
parts  of  the  body  necessary  to  the  swing  in 
accord  and  keep  equally  under  control  any 
movement  not  essential  to  the  stroke,  all 
this  to  be  done  while  swinging  the  club 
back  over  the  right  shoulder  and  then  for- 


Driving. 

30 

ward  with  all  the  strength  of  the  body  and 
muscles  crystallized  into  a  single  force  be- 
hind the  ball. 

Suggestions. 

Swinging  the  club  head  once  or  twice 
over  the  ball  should  be  sufficient.  Making 
too  many  swings  is  bad  practice  as  it  is  a 
pendulum  swing  rather  than  a  golfing 
swing.  Too  many  swings  are  also  apt 
to  make  the  club  swing  in  a  circle  instead 
of  an  ellipse.  Then,  too,  by  looking  at 
the  ball  too  long  it  is  apt  so  to  weary  the 
eye  that  one  gauges  the  ball  inaccurately 
when  the  real  swing  is  made. 

Do  not  let  the  waggle  be  an  excuse  for 
shifting  the  feet  around,  or  for  thinking 
over  all  the  things  which  enter  into  the 
swing,  or  for  speculating  over  the  chances 
of  a  miss. 

THE  SWING   OF  THE   CLUB. 

As  it  is  one  of  the  laws  of  dynamics 
that  the  forward  swing  will  be  in  the  same 
arc  as  the  backward  swing,  the  backward 
swing  is,  in  a  way,  a  sort  of  preliminary 
canter. 

The  Backward  Swing. 

i.  In  swinging  the  club  back  it  should 
be  carried  along  the  ground  as  far  as  possi- 
ble so  that,  with  the  forward  swing,  the 


The  Backward  Swing. 
3i 

club  shall  travel  the  same  distance  along 
the  line  of  flight,  the  arms  going  out  as 
far  as  they  will  reach. 

2.  With  the  turning  of  the   body,  the 
left  heel  should  begin  to  lift,  not  artificially 
but  as  the  natural  result  of  the  turning. 

3.  With     this    turning,     the     club    is 
brought  up  over  the  right  shoulder,  never 
around  it,   until   at  the   end    of  the  back- 
ward   swing    the    club     head    is    close    to 
the  left  hip,  the  nose  pointing  downward; 
the    left    shoulder    well    down ;    the    right 
shoulder  well  up  ;  the  left  elbow  close  to 
the   body ;    the  right    elbow  well  out  and 
level  with  the  right  shoulder ;   the  weight 
of  the  body  upon  the  right  foot  balanced 
by    the    toes    of  the    left    foot ;    the    right 
shoulder,  the  head,  the  left  shoulder,  and 
the  left  leg  being  in  an  almost  vertical  plane. 

4.  At  the  end  of  the  backward  swing, 
and  before  the  forward  swing  begins,  there 
is  necessarily  a  moment  when  the  club  is 
not  moving  but  never  a  Dause  long  enough 
to    take     aim.      This    pause  must    be    in 
rhythm  with  both   the  backward  and  for- 
ward   swings — shorter     when     the    back- 
ward  swing   is    quick ;  longer,   when  the 
backward   swing   is    slow.     With   a  quick 
backward  swing  this  pause  should  be  al- 
most imperceptible,  and  the  error  to  guard 
against  is  beginning  the  forward  swing  be- 
fore the  backward  swing  is  finished,  as  it 


Driving. 

32 

breaks  the  rhythm  between  the  two  swings 
and  gives  a  jerk  to  the  club. 

Suggestions  about  Backward  Swing. 

With  the  backward  swing  the  movement 
should  be  deliberate.  "Slow  back,"  how- 
ever, does  not  mean  that  the  swing  should 
be  so  slow  that  the  air  is  not  made  to  cir- 
culate or  so  deliberate  that  the  forward 
swing  begins  with  a  jerk,  but  only  that  the 
club  should  not  be  swung  up  over  the 
shoulder  before  it  has  time  to  sweep  out 
along  the  ground. 

If  one  will  keep  in  mind  that  the  club 
is  to  be  swung  and  not  lifted,  the  back- 
ward swing  will  be  more  apt  to  be  in 
rhythm  with  the  body  movement. 

Golfers  who  appreciate  what  the  har- 
mony between  the  backwrard  and  forward 
swing  means,  generally  have  a  quick  back- 
ward swing  in  order  to  have  enough  speed 
at  the  beginning  of  the  forward  swing  for 
the  club  to  be  swinging  with  its  greatest 
velocity  at  the  moment  of  concussion  with 
the  ball.  To  get  this  limit  of  velocity  at 
the  moment  of  concussion  is  "timing  the 
swing." 

The  Forward  Swing. 

i.  With  the  beginning  of  the  forward 
swing  the  body  should  begin  to  turn  to  the 


The  Forward  Swing. 
33 

left,  the  left  shoulder  coming  around  well 
up,  the  right  shoulder  swinging  well  down 
so  that  the  right  arm  will  follow  through 
along  the  line  of  flight. 

2.  When  the  left  foot  is  squarely  on  the 
ground,  the  right  knee  should  begin  knuck- 
ling to  the  left,  the  right  foot  rising  at  the 
heel,  the  left  elbow  pointing  towards  the 
hole,  and  the  right  elbow  tucked  in  against 
the  body. 

3.  With  the  concussion,  the  club 
should  be  given  that  snappy  movement, 
which  all  professionals  have,  so  necessary  to 
a  long  drive. 


Suggestions  about  Both  Swings. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  backward 
swing    to   the    moment  of  concussion  with 

o 

the  ball,  the  mental  effort  should  be  to  keep 
every  movement  of  the  body  and  arms  in 
harmony.  If  any  movement  is  stiff  there 
will  at  once  be  a  discord  and  some  motion 
will  be  jerky.  All  the  hinges  of  the  body 
should  be  slightly  relaxed,  but  not  unnatu- 
rally crooked.  The  most  natural  angles  of 
the  joints  will  be  the  least  wrong,  and  if  one 
swings  well  within  himself  and  does  not 
attempt  to  over-accelerate  the  speed  by  any 
movement,  there  will  be  that  rhythmical 
harmony  whictrall  good  golfers  know  the 
value  of  in  getting  distance. 


Drh  ing. 

34 
The  Follow  Through. 

Instantaneous  photographs  of  the  'fol- 
low through"  or  the  continuation  of  the 
swing  after  the  concussion,  prove  that  the 
ball  remains  upon  the  face  of  the  club  head 
an  appreciable  instant  after  it  has  been 
struck.  As  it  is  in  this  part  of  the  swing 
that  the  contractive  and  expansive  quality  of 
the  gutta  percha  becomes  a  factor, the  follow 
through  therefore  is  an  important  part  of 
the  swing.  Since  the  expansive  quality  of 
the  gutta  percna  only  begins  to  act  after 
its  contractive  quality  has  expended  itself, 
the  ball  only  receives  the  full  force  of  this 
expansive  quality,  consequently,  some  time 
after  the  concussion.  If,  therefore,  there  is 
a  follow  through,  the  ball  only  flies  from  the 
club  head  when  the  expansive  force  be- 
comes greater  than  the  speed  at  which  the 
club  head  is  moving.  It  is,  then,  only 
when  the  ball  has  the  club  head  to  push 
against  that  it  can  fly  off  with  the  greatest 
impetus.  Unless  therefore  the  club  is 
carried  through,  much  of  the  elasticity  of 
the  gutta  percha,  which  the  concussion  has 
set  in  motion,  is  lost. 

To  Follow  Through  Properly. 

i .  Bring  the  right  shoulder  well  down 
with  the  forward  swing,  keeping  the  right 
elbow  close  to  the  body  and  the  left  elbow 


The  Follow  Through. 
35 

well  out  so  that  the  arms  may  stretch  away 
freely. 

2.  With  the  concussion,  hold  the  club 
almost    wholly  in  the    left    hand,   relaxing 
the  grip  of  the  right  hand  so  that  the  circle 
through  which  the  right  arm  is  passing  will 
not  tend  to  swing  the  club  to  the  left  of  the 
line  of  flight. 

3.  If  the  club  follows  through    as    it 
should,  the  stroke  will  be  finished  with  the 
club  head  pointing  well  into  the  air  and  on 
the  line  of  flight,  or  else  swung  over  the  left 
shoulder. 

Suggestions  about  the  Follow  Through. 

If  the  swing  is  properly  made,  the 
momentum  of  the  swing  will  overbalance 
the  body  and  make  a  step  forward  with  the 
right  foot  necessary. 

As  the  natural  inclination  is  to  stop 
the  swing  as  soon  as  the  ball  is  struck,  one 
must  guard  against  swinging  more  slowly 
as  the  club  approaches  the  ball  and  thus 
robbing  the  drive  of  much  of  its  force. 

To  get  distance,  use  a  half  swing  if  the 
follow  through  does  not  come  naturally 
with  a  full  swing  ;  the  trouble  with  the  full 
swing  being  that  the  club,  instead  of  swing- 
ing in  an  ellipse,  is  swung  in  a  circle  which 
only  calls  into  play  the  quick  moving  arm 
muscles,  the  pace  being  too  fast  for  the 
slower  moving  body  muscles,  which  would 
carry  the  club  along  the  line  of  flight. 


Driving. 

36 

Consequently,  the  club  is  swung  to  the  left 
of  the  body.  With  an  elliptical  swing, 
however,  as  the  faster  moving  arm  muscles 
have  to  swing  the  club  a  greater  distance, 
the  slower  moving  body  muscles  have  time 
to  act.  Therefore  one  who  cannot  follow 
through  properly  with  a  full  swing,  by 
shortening  the  swing  to  a  half  circle,  uncon- 
sciously flattens  the  circle  into  an  ellipse  to 
get  driving  power,  with  the  result  that  the 
segment  of  the  circle  through  which  the 
club  travels  is  longer  than  if  a  full  swing 
in  a  circle  is  made,  and  it  is  because  of  this 
that  more  power  is  put  into  the  stroke. 


Diagram  showing  that  with  a  half  swing  in  an 
ellipse,  the  distance  from  a  to  b  is  greater  than  a 
full  swing  in  a  true  circle  from  c  to  d. 

Keeping  the  Eye  on  the  Back  of  the  Ball. 

As  the  eye  dictates  to  the  mind  the 
movement  of  the  muscles,  never  keep  the 
eye  on  the  top  of  the  ball  but  on  the  back 
of  it  and  on  the  ground  behind  it,  so  that 
the  sole  of  the  club  shall  graze  the  ground 


Eye  on  Back  of 


37 


just  as  it  comes  in  contact  with  the  ball,  in 
order  to  hit  it  below  the  centre  and  give  it 
that  forward  spin  which  makes  it  leave  the 
club  head  at  a  low  angle  of  projectory. 
With  such  a  stroke,  the  ball  soars  up  as 
the  effect  of 'the  forward  spin  dies  away  as 
though  entirely  independent  of  gravitation, 
its  path  for  nearly  half  the  total  range  of 
carry  being  concave  upward. 


The  upward  and  downward  spins. 

Watching  a  long,  low  drive  with  that 
swallow-like  swoop  which  marks  a  clean 
cut  ball  is  the  most  exhilarating  part  of  the 
game  and  the  desire  to  see  such  a  ball  fly- 
ing through  the  air  often  makes  even  the 
best  of  golfers  anticipate  its  flight  and 
glance  away  from  the  ball  before  it  is 
struck.  Keeping  one's  eye  on  the  ball, 
therefore,  although  the  easiest  rule  of  golf 
to  learn,  is  the  one  probably  most  fre- 
quently broken  and  the  most  frequent  cause 
of  failure  in  making  the  stroke  as  expected. 

Suggestions. 

A  good  way  to  prevent  thinking  of  the 
flight  of  the  ball  is  to  draw  a  line  on  the 


Driving. 

38 

ground  back  of  the  ball,  along  the  line  of 
flight,  and  to  concentrate  the  mind  on  the 
thought  that  the  club  head  is  to  swing  along 
that  line.  In  this  way  the  thought  of  the 
ball  itself  gets  out  of  one's  mind  until  after 
it  is  struck. 


Summary  of  the  Driving  Stroke. 

Stand  with  the  body  facing  the  ball, 
both  feet  firmly  on  the  ground,  the  ball  to 
the  left  of  the  left  foot,  the  knees  a  little 
bent,  the  body  bending  a  little  forward,  and 
the  weight  of  the  body  largely  upon  the 
left  leg. 

Have  the  left  foot  nearer  the  line  of 
flight  than  the  right  and  both  feet  pointing 
out. 

Grasp  the  club  a  few  inches  down  the 
shaft,  the  hands  close  together,  the  left 
hand  behind  the  right  and  with  no  bending 
of  the  wrists. 

With  the  beginning  of  the  backward 
swing,  have  the  left  elbow  pointing  towards 
the  hole,  the  right  elbow  fairly  close  to  the 
body  and  the  right  shoulder  a  little  lower 
than  the  left.  With  the  backward  swing, 
stretch  the  arms  out  to  their  full  length 
before  lifting  the  club.  At  the  top  of  the 
backward  swing,  have  the  weight  of  the 
body  wholly  upon  the  right  leg,  the  left 
shoulder  well  down,  the  left  elbow  in  front 


Hints. 

39 

of  and  fairly  close  to  the  body,  the  right 
shoulder  well  up,  and  the  right  elbow  level 
with  the  right  shoulder. 

With  the  forward  swing,  the  weight  of 
the  body  should  go  from  the  right  leg  to 
the  left,  the  right  shoulder  swinging  well 
180 wn,  the  arms  lengthening  out  as  the  club 
descends.  As  the  club  comes  around  in 

•s-  V 

front  of  the  body,  the  right  elbow  should 
be  brought  in  towards  the  body,  the  left 
shoulder  rising,  the  left  elbow  pointing 
towards  the  hole. 

With  the  concussion ,  the  body  should  be 
facing  the  ball,  the  left  hand  firmly  grasp- 
ing the  shaft,  the  right  hand  relaxing,  and 
the  body  overbalancing. 

At  the  end  of  the  follow  through,  the 
body  should  be  facing  the  hole,  the  arms 
stretching  out  to  their  full  length  towards 
the  hole,  the  club  pointing  well  into  the 
air  and  on  the  line  of  flight,  or  swinging 
over  the  left  shoulder. 


Hints  about  Driving, 

Learn  to  drive  with  a  half  swing  before 
attempting  a  full  swing. 

To  prevent  sclaffing,  hold  the  club  with 
the  sole  slanting  up  so  that  if  the  club  does 
strike  the  ground  its  direction  will  not  be 
changed. 

Do  not  keep  the  arms  tucked  into  the 
sides  of  the  body  like  the  wings  of  a  roast 


Driving. 

4° 

turkey  ready  to  be  carved,  or  sticking  out 
like  the  forelegs  of  a  dachshund,  or  stiff 
and  straight  in  front  of  the  body  as  if  ready 
to  make  a  dive. 

Do  not  stop  at  the  top  of  the  backward 
swing  to  take  aim  before  beginning  the 
forward  swing,  or  start  the  forward  swing 
before  the  backward  swing  is  finished. 

O 

Do  not  start  with  too  much  speed  at  the 
beginning  of  the  forward  swing  as  the 
speed  should  keep  increasing  until  the  ball 
is  struck. 

Do  not  sway  the  body  backward  with 
the  backward  swing  or  shrink  from  the  ball 
by  moving  either  foot  just  as  the  club  head 
sweeps  against  it. 

Swing  well  within  yourself  and  do  not 
over  swing  by  attempting  to  swing  too  far 
back. 

Do  not  study  details  so  much  that  all 
freedom  of  motion  is  lost. 

The  Common  Mistakes  are: — 

Not  taking  a  stance  which  will  send  the 
ball  along  the  desired  line  of  flight. 

Standing  so  near  the  ball  that  the  arms 
are  too  close  to  the  body  when  the  ball  is 
struck. 

Keeping  the  eye  on  the  top  of  the  ball 
and  not  on  the  ground  behind  it. 

Swinging  back  so  quickly  that  the  club 


Common  Mistakes. 
41 

head  does  not  travel  far  enough   along  the 
ground  with  the  backward  swing. 

Letting  the  shaft  turn  in  the  hand  with 
the  forward  swing. 

Losing  accuracy  by  swaying  the  body, 
shrinking  from  the  ball,  or  bending  too 
much  over  it. 

Not  bringing  the  right  shoulder  well 
down  with  the  forward  swing  and  not  keep- 
ing the  left  elbow  well  out. 

Not  following  through  after  the  concus- 
sion. 


CHAPTER   III. 


CURVE    ON    THE    BALL. 


Slicing. 

Slicing  is  bringing  the  club  head  across 
the  line  of  flight  with   the  forward  swing 
so  that  a  left  to  right  spin  is  given  the  ball. 
This  is  done  either  by  pull- 
ing in    the    arms    with    the 
concussion,  or  by  facing  so 
far     around    that    the     club 
head  naturally  swings  across 
the  line  of  flight. 

Look  out  on  the  right!  When  a  bal1  is  travelling 

through  the  air  without  any 
spin,  the  pressure  of  the  air  resisting  its 
flight  being  the  same  on  both  sides,  the 
line  of  flight  is  obviously  a  straight  one  ; 
but,  when  the  ball  is  rotating  from  left  to 
right,  the  left  side  is  moving  to  meet  the 
air  while  the  right  side  is  moving  away 
from  it.  The  ball,  consequently,  en- 
counters more  pressure  on  the  left  than  on 
the  right  side,  and,  by  the  laws  of  dynamics, 
it  travels  on  the  line  of  least  resistance 
and  necessarily  curves  to  the  right,  the 
greater  curve  at  the  end  of  its  flight  not 
being  because  of  any  increase  in  spin  but 
due  to  the  fact  that,  as  the  pressure  to  the 
forward  flight  becomes  less,  the  difference 
(42) 


Slicing. 


43 


in  pressure  on  the  two  sides  becomes  com- 
paratively more. 

m 


a  b — The  forward  momentum  of  the  ball. 


The  pressure  of  the  air  when  the  ball  is  travel- 
-  ling  without  any  spin;  i.  e.,  when  the  pressure 
on  the  two  sides  counteract  each  other. 


/  'in — The  line  of  flight  when  the  ball  has  no  spin 
and  the  air  is  pressing  equally  on  both  sides. 

n  o— The  relative  forward  impetus  on  the  two  sides 
n  p  of  the  ball  because  of  the  left  to  right  spin  given 
it  by  slicing,  the  left  to  right  spin  on  the  left 
hand  side  being  the  forward  impetus  with  the 
spin  resisting  the  forward  flight  of  the  ball,  and 
on  the  right  hand  side  without  the  spin  affect- 
ing the  forward  flight. 

n  s— The  resultant  of  the  two  forces  n  o  and  n  p 
without  the  force  a  b,  as  shown  by  the  paral- 
lelogram n  o  s  p. 

a  s — The  resultant  of  the  two  forces  a  b  and  n  s, 
as  shown  by  the  parallelogram  a  n  s  t;  i.  e.,a  s 
being  the  line  of  flight  of  a  sliced  ball. 


Slicing. 

44 

Although  not  technically  slicing,  a  ball 
is  said  to  be  sliced  when  it  is  driven  to  the 
right  of  the  intended  line  of  flight  without 
any  curve. 

A  ball  is  sliced  in  this  way  : 

(1)  By  standing  so  far  to  the  left  that 
the  ball   is  hit  to  the  left  of  the 
centre. 

(2)  By  allowing  the  wrists  to  work  so 
freely,  that  the  arms  and  hands 
come  around  in  advance  of  the 
club  head  so  that,  when  the  ball 
is    hit,    the    face    is  at    an  acute 
angle  to  the  line  of  flight. 


a  —  the  way  the  ball  should  have  been  hit. 

b  —  foundered. 

c —  heeled  and  sliced. 

d  —  sliced. 

e  —  toed  and  sliced. 


Suggestions. 

As  slicing  is  caused  generally  by  not 
swinging  the  right  shoulder  well  down, 
stand  with  the  right  foot  further  away  from 


To  Avoid  Slicing. 
45 

the  ball  in  order  to  bring  the  shoulder  into 
the  downward  swing  more. 

As  a  sliced  ball  starts  away  high,  it  is 
often  desirable  to  slice  it  in  order  to  get 
over  an  obstacle  in  the  line  of  flight.  In 
playing  for  a  slice,  stand  with  the  right 
foot  nearer  the  ball  and  swing  in  a  circle 
instead  of  an  ellipse. 

Often  a  ball,  having  a  good  lie  but  with 
rising  ground  so  close  in  front  of  it  that  an 
iron  would  ordinarily  be  used,  can  be 
sliced  with  a  driver,  a  brassy,  or  a  cleek 
so  that  it  not  only  clears  the  obstacle  but 
gets  distance. 

To  Avoid  Slicing. 

Do  not  shrink  from  the  ball  or  pull  in 
the  arms. 

Stand  with  the  right  foot  further  away 
from  the  ball. 

Do  not  let  the  arms  and  hands  come 
around  so  quickly. 

Grip  tighter  with  the  left  hand  and 
looser  with  the  right. 

Use  a  half  swing  and  follow  through. 


Pulling. 


PULLING. 


A  ball  hit  squarely  in  the  centre  will 
fly  either  straight  ahead  or,  because  of  a 
slice,  to  the  right;  while  a  ball  hit  to   the 
right   of  the  centre,  if  only 
L  a  hair's  breadth,  will  fly  tc 

the  left  or  is  pulled.  This 
is  the  result  either  of  stand- 
ing too  near  the  intended  line 
of  flight  and  stretching  out 

the  arms  to°  far  or  Caning 
too  far  forward,  or  hooking 
the  face  of  the  club  with  the  forward  swing. 
In  swinging  the  club  head  so  that  it  strikes 
the  ball  at  a  point  to  the  right  of  the  centre, 
if  hit  squarely,  it  will  fly  to  the  left,  but  if 
struck  near  enough  to  the  centre  to  give  it 
a  left  to  right  spin  ,  it  will  curve  back  towards 
the  line  of  flight. 


a  b  —  the   desired   line    of  flight,    in   a   horizontal 

section. 

c  d  —  the  swing  of  the  club. 
df —  the  forward  momentum  given  the  ball. 
d g  —  the  direction  given  the  ball  by  the  spin. 
d  h  —  the    resultant   of   the  two   forces   as    shown 

by  the  parallelogram  d  fkg  ;  i.  ^.,  the  line  of 

flight  of  a  pulled  ball. 


To  Avoid  Pulling. 
47 

A  ball  may  also  be  pulled  by  pushing 
the  club  from  the  body  at  the  moment  of 
concussion,  so  that  a  right  to  left  spin  is 
given  it,  the  pressure  of  air  now  resisting  the 
flight  of  the  ball  being  on  the  right  hand  side 
and  making  it  curve  to  the  left. 

s 


n  o— The  relative  forward  impetus  on  the  two  sides 
n  p  of  the  ball  because  of  the  right  to  left  spin 
given  it  by  pulling,  the  right  to  left  spin  on 
the  right  hand  side  of  the  ball  being  the  for- 
ward impetus  with  the  spin  resisting  the  for- 
ward flight  of  the  ball,  and  on  the  left  hand 
side  without  the  spin  affecting  the  forward 
flight. 

n  s — The  resultant  of  the  two  forces  n  o  and  n  p 
without  the  force  a  b,  as  shown  by  the  parallel- 
ogram n  o  s  p. 

a  s — The  resultant  of  the  two  forces  a  b  and  n  s,  as 
shown  by  the  parallelogram  a  n  s  t;  i.  e.,  a  s  be- 
ing the  line  of  flight  of  a  pulled  ball. 

To  Avoid  Pulling. 

Do  not  press. 

Keep  the  point  of  contact  on  a  line  with 
the  hole. 


Topping. 


Carry  the  club  head  forward  on  the  line 
of  flight  and  after  the  concussion  do  not  let 
the  club  swing  around  the  body. 

If  the  habit  of  pulling  cannot  be  over- 
come otherwise,  hold  the  club  with  the  nose 
pointing  backward. 


HOOKING. 

a  —  the  way  the  ball  should  have  been  struck. 

b  —  foundered. 

c  —  hooked  and  heeled. 

d —  hooked. 

c  —  toed  and  hooked. 


TOPPING. 

Topping   is  hitting  the  ball  above  the 
centre  and  the  higher  it  is  hit   the  more  it 

o 

will  be   driven  into  the  ground  with  a  loss 
of  momentum. 

In   the  same  way  that  a  billiard  ball, 
with  "right  hand  side"  played  full  against 


To  Avoid  Topping. 


49 


the  top  cushion  from  back,  breaks  to  the 
right,  so  a  topped  ball  when  it  receives  the 
forward  spin  by  topping  it  will  ricochet 
from  the  ground  with  the  spin 
reversed  and  not  only  will  rise 
quickly,  but  because  of  the 
backward  spin  will  fall  dead 
when  it  again  strikes  the 
ground.  A  topped  ball  is, 
therefore,  often  desirable.  Such  a  stroke, 
however,  should  only  be  made  when  the 
ball  is  on  a  downward  slope,  otherwise  it 
is  apt  to  be  driven  too  much  into  the 
ground. 


Oh,  my  poor  head.1 


d  e  —  the  top  cushion. 
a  b  —  right  hand  side. 

c  —  direction  of  spin  given  the  billiard  ball. 

/ —  direction   of  reverse  spin  given  the  ball   by 
the  concussion  with  the  cushion. 

g  —  the  direction  taken  by  the  billiard  ball. 
h  k  —  the  ground. 
ml  —  a  topped  ball. 

n  —  direction  of  spin  given  the  ball  by  topping  it. 

o  —  direction  of  reverse  spin  given  the  ball  by  its 
concussion  with  the  ground. 

p  —  direction  taken  by  the  golf  ball. 

To  Avoid  Topping. 

Keep  the  eye  not  only  on  the  back  of 
the  ball  but  on  the  ground  back  of  the  ball. 


Summary. 


5° 


Do  not  stand  with  the  ball  so  far  to  the 
right  of  the  body  that  it  will  be  hit  as  the 
club  is  descending. 

With  the  forward  swing  bring  the 
club  head  close  to  the  ground  some  dis- 
tance behind  the  ball. 

Do  not  rise  on  the  toes  with  the  forward 
swing  to  avoid  digging  into  the  ground. 

Do  not  swing  in  a  circle,  as  only  one 
point  of  the  arc  of  a  circle  comes  near  the 
ground  and  this  may  not  be  below  the  cen- 
tre of  the  ball. 

Summary  of  Slicing,  Pulling  and  Topping. 


vertical  section. 


horizontal  section, 


The  ball  should  be  hit  below  the  line  a  b  c. 

A  ball  hit  above  the  line  a  b  c  will  be  topped. 

A  ball  hit  on  the  line  //will  be  sliced. 

A  ball  hit  on  the  line  A/will  be  pulled. 

A  ball  hit  at  c  and/  will  be  sliced  if  the  club  head 
swings  across  the  ball  from  right  to  left  and  will  be 
pulled  if  from  left  to  right. 

A  ball  hit  within  the  section  c  b  g  and/<?  h  will  be 
topped  and  pulled. 

A  ball  hit  within  the  section  c  b  g  and/*?  /  will  be 
topped  and  sliced. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


THE    WIND    AND    HILLS. 


Utilising  the  Wind. 

When  there  is  no  wind  a  ball  may  be 
sliced   or  pulled   without  any  great  loss  of 
distance,  but  in  a  wind  the  slightest  inac- 
curacy  becomes    ten    times 
exaggerated    and   the   ama- 
teur    often     finds      himself 
VJPJT7::V  hopelessly    out  of  the   run- 

ning.      To    the     inexperi- 
enced golfer,  therefore,  the 
free  as  a  bird.  wind    generally     proves     a 

hindrance,  although  it  can  often  be  util- 
ized in  the  same  way  as  when  sailing  a 
boat. 

When  playing  in  a  wind,  because  one 
has  to  stand  more  firmly  on  the  ground, 
it  is  better  to  stand  with  the  ball  opposite 
the  centre  of  the  body  and  not  attempt  to 
get  that  balance  ordinarily  so  desirable. 
The  swing,  also,  should  be  particularly 
easy  as  one's  natural  inclination  is  to  make 
an  extra  effort.  • 

When  the  Wind  is  Blowing  from  Behind. 

To  swing  the  club  correctly  with  a 
strong  wind  blowing  from  behind  is  not  as 

(SO 


Head  Winds. 

52 

easy  as  one  would  imagine,  as  the  player 
not  only  has  to  fight  to  maintain  his  balance 
but  has  to  guard  against  the  wind  blowing 
the  club  down  too  quickly.  As  the  ball 
should  be  sent  high  into  the  air,  some 
players  use  a  higher  tee  than  usual  or,  if 
the  teeing  ground  slopes  upward,  tee  a 
hanging  ball ;  others  play  for  a  slice  as  the 
left  to  right  spin  starts  the  ball  high. 

When     the    Wind     is    Blowing    Directly 
Towards  the  Player. 

As  the  object  now  is  to  keep  the  ball 
low,  a  lo\v  tee  should  be  used,  or,  better 
still,  no  tee  at  all.  Many  players,  if  the 
teeing  ground  is  a  downward  slope,  tee  a 
hanging  ball  to  get  a  forward  spin,  some 
playing  a  half  cleek  shot  which  gives  the 
ball  great  running  power  ;  some  a  running 
approach  shot  which  keeps  the  ball  close 
to  the  ground  ;  some  playing  with  the  face 
of  the  club  well  over  to  keep  it  low  ;  others 
playing  for  a  pull.  This  last  stroke,  how- 
ever, is  the  perfection  of  golf  and  is  only 
attained  after  years  of  practice. 

CROSS    WINDS. 

In  the  same  way  that  .the  skipper  makes 
every  breath  of  air  push  his  boat   ahead, 
so  the  expert  golfer  can  make  some   cross 
winds  help  the  flight  of  his  ball  and  in  a 


Cross  Winds. 
53 

way  which  to  an  amateur  is  often  a  mystery  ; 
for,  in  certain  cross  winds,  a  ball  can  be 
driven  a  longer  distance  than  if  there  were 
no  wind,  although  it  is  often  difficult  to  de- 
cide whether  the  wind  can  be  utilized  or 
whether  it  must  be  fought. 

When  the  Cross  Wind  is  Blowing  Towards 
the  Player. 

With  such  a  wind  the  amateur  should 
play  into  the  eye  of  the  wind  ;  and, 
although  distance  will  be  lost  with  the  first 
stroke,  more  distance  will  be  gained  with 
the  second  stroke  than  if  both  strokes  had 
been  played  for  the  hole.  A  good  skipper, 
however,  never  sails  his  boat  into  the  wind 
and  the  expert  golfer  will,  if  the  wind  is 
coming  from  the  left,  play  to  the  right  of 
the  hole  and  pull  the  ball  and  if  the  wind 
is  coming  from  the  right  play  to  the  left 
of  the  hole  and  slice  it. 

When  the  Cross  Wind  is  Blowing  Towards 
the  Hole. 

With  such  a  wind  the  amateur  should 
play  his  first  stroke  with  the  wind  and  his 
second  stroke  for  the  hole,  but  it  is  with  such 
a  cross  wind  that  the  expert  gets  greater  dis- 
tance than  if  there  were  no  wind.  If  the 
wind  is  blowing  towards  the  hole  from  right 
to  left  he  will  play  straight  for  the  hole  with 


Cross  Winds. 

54 

a  slice,  the  wind  keeping  the  ball  straight 
and  because  the  greater  resistance  to  the 
spin  is  now  on  the  right  hand  side  of  the 
ball,  the  left  to  right  spin  will  send  the  ball 
ahead  with  increased  momentum  ;  while,  if 
the  wind  is  blowing  towards  the  hole  from 
left  to  right,  he  will  play  straight  for  the 
hole  with  a  pull  and  with  similar  results. 

Wben  the  Wind  is  Blowing  from  Left   to 
Right  Across  the  Line  of  Flight. 

In  such  a  wind  the  ball  will  never  get 
distance.  "Eaten  up  by  the  wind,"  is  the 
term  used.  If  it  is  pulled  into  the  wind 
the  effect  of  the  wind  and  the  pulling  coun- 
teract each  other  and  the  ball  flies  dead. 
The  expert,  therefore,  pla}Ts  to  the  left  of 
the  hole  and  slices  the  ball,  the  direction 
of  the  wind  and  the  spin  bringing  it  back 
to  the  line  of  flight;  and  although,  be- 
cause of  the  spin,  it  cuts  through  the  wind 
a  little  it  still  flies  dead  but  will  be  carried 
further  than  if  played  straight.  In  play- 
ing this  shot,  stand  with  the  right  foot 
further  forward  than  when  ordinarily  play- 
ing a  sliced  ball,  as  the  wind  is  apt  to  blow 
the  club  off. 

When  the  Wind  is  Blowing  from  Right  to 
Left  Across  the  Line  of  Flight. 

In  such  a  wind  the  drive  will  also  be 
eaten  up  by  the  wind.  If  the  ball  is  sliced 


Side  Hill  Lies. 

55 

the  wind  will  keep  it  in  the  line  of  flight,  but 
it  will  cover  little  ground  and  will  drop 
inert  and  lifeless  without  any  running 
power.  The  only  thing  to  do  is  to  keep 
the  ball  low  either  by  using  a  low  tee, 
playing  a  hanging  ball,  or  playing  a  run- 
ning approach  shot. 

SIDE  HILL  LIES. 

A  side  hill  lie  is  one  most  trying  to  an 
amateur,  yet  it  is  one  which  an  expert 
would  often  select.  With  such  a  lie,  be- 
cause of  the  unnatural  and  unsteady  stance, 
it  is  better  to  play  with  the  ball  opposite  the 
centre  of  the  body  and  to  swing  easily. 
The  worse  the  lie,  the  more  quietly  should 
the  swing  be  made  ;  many  players  using  a 
half  swing  as  direction  is  more  important 
than  distance,  and  a  ball  sent  to  the  right 
or  left  is  generally  in  the  same  difficulty 
with  the  next  stroke. 


When  the  Line  of  Flight  is  Up  Hill. 

If  the  club  head  is  to  follow  through,  it 
should  be  swung  in  a  circle  and  not  in  an 
ellipse.  But  when  the  slope  is  too  steep  to 
follow  through,  the  surer  method  is  to  take 
no  account  of  the  slope  but  to  hit  well  under 
the  ball  and  deliberately  dig  into  the  ground, 
slicing  the  ball  if  the  hill  is  particularly  steep. 


Side  Hill  Lies. 

56 

When  the  Line  of  Flight  is  Down  Hill. 

In  playing  down  hill  the  swing  should 
also  be  in  a  circle  so  that  with  the  back- 
ward swing  the  club  head  can  travel  along 
the  slope  without  any  extra  turning  of 
the  wrists  or  other  device  which  would 
make  the  stroke  a  failure.  When  playing 
against  the  wind,  a  better  lie  could  not  be 
asked  ;  as  the  forward  spin,  which  the  ball 
receives,  not  onlv  keeps  it  low  but  gives  it 
great  running  power,  the  slope  of  the  hill 
preventing  its  being  driven  into  the  ground 
if  it  is  topped. 


When  the  Line  of  Flight  is  along  the  Side  of 
a  Hill  and  th?  Stance  Below  tbe  Ball. 

With  such  a  lie,  the  stroke  is  far  from 
easy,  the  difficulty  not  being  in  getting  a 
long  drive  but  in  making  a  straight  one. 
As  the  nose  is  apt  to  dig  into  the  ground, 
the  club  should  be  grasped  with  the  hands 
well  down  the  shaft,  in  order  to  bring  the 
heel  lower  and  the  nose  higher.  Because 
there  is  always  an  unconscious  effort  to 
keep  the  body  from  overbalancing  back- 
ward, one  is  apt  to  counteract  it  by  bending 
too  far  forward  and  pulling  the  ball.  Some 
players,  therefore,  allow  for  this  by  play- 
ing to  the  right  of  the  line  of  flight,  others 
by  standing  further  back  from  the  ball. 


Side    Hill  Lies. 

57 

When  the  Line  of  Flight  is  Along  the  Side 
of  a  Hill  and  the  Stance  Above  the  Ball. 

When  standing  above  the  ball,  the 
equilibrium  is  at  best  uncertain  and  nothing 
is  easier  than  to  lose  one's  balance  with  the 
forward  swing.  The  swing  therefore  should 
be  easy  and  the  ball  hit  with  less  force  than 
usual  with  the  thought  not  of  getting  dis- 
tance but  direction.  As  the  heel  of  the 
club  is  now  apt  to  dig  into  the  ground, 
grasp  the  shaft  higher  than  usual  to  bring 
the  heel  higher  and  the  nose  lower.  When 
standing  above  the  ball  as  there  is  always 
an  effort  to  keep  the  body  from  overbalanc- 
ing forward,  one  is  apt  to  counteract  it  bv 
pulling  back  and  slicing  the  ball.  To  pre- 
vent this  some  players  stand  half  facing  the 
hole  and  take  a  half  swing  and  others 
stand  nearer  the  ball. 


CHAPTER   V. 


APPROACHING. 


One     difference     between    a   first-class 
and  a  second-class  golfer  is  the  inability  of 
the   latter  to  make  approach    shots,  as  the 
average  golfer  gives  most  of  his 
time  to  perfecting  himself  in  driv- 
ing,  in  which  he  takes  pride,  and 
neglects  to   learn   the  many   ap- 
proaching strokes  with  which  he 
ought  to  be  familiar.      Although 
dud  approach!        he  may»  Perhaps,  be  able  to  drive 
his  ball  twenty  yards  further  than 
his    expert  opponent  with  his  first  stroke, 
and  with  his  second  stroke  be  able  to  send 
his  ball  still  another  twenty  yards  further 
ahead,   yet   his   opponent,    although   forty 
yards  further  away,  will  be  nearer  the  hole 
with  his  approach  shot. 

In  making  approach  shots  many  dif- 
ferent conditions  arise,  and  many  things 
have  to  be  considered.  One,  therefore,  not 
only  has  to  become  familiar  with  several 
kinds  of  clubs,  but  has  to  know  also  how 
to  make  with  them  several  kinds  of 
strokes.  Approaching  irons,  strictly  speak- 
ing, are  the  mid-iron,  the  lofter,  the  mashie, 
and  the  niblick.  They  differ  from  the 
(58) 


Approaching  Irons. 
59 

cleek  in  having  the  face  laid  further  back 
so  as  to  give  the  ball  a  backward  spin,  and 
in  being  broader  at  the  toe  so  as  to  have  as 
much  face  as  possible  with  which  to  get 
that  spin  ;  the  lofter  being  laid  back  more 
than  the  mid-iron  and  the  mashie  more 
than  the  lofter  ;  the  mashie  being  evolved 
as  a  cross  between  the  niblick  and  the 
lofter,  to  be  used  for  those  short  approaches 
where  little  impetus  is  to  be  sent  into  the 
ball.  The  niblick,  which  is  used  in  ap- 
proaching when  the  ball  has  such  a  bad  lie 
that  the  club  has  to  dig  into  the  ground, 
differs  from  the  other  irons  in  having  a 
thick  and  heavy  head  which  is  laid  back 
more  than  the  mashie,  in  order  to  get  as  far 
under  the  ball  as  possible,  the  shaft  being 
particularly  stiff,  as  the  club  often  has  to  be 
fearlessly  used  when  the  ball  is  lying  among 
stones  or  in  brush  or  high  grass.  In  fact,  all 
approaching  clubs  should  have  stiff  shafts, 
as  approaching  strokes  generally  mtan 
grazing  the  top  of  the  ground.  With  the 
niblick  the  essential  thing  is  weight ;  with 
the  lofter  and  mid-iron,  balance  ;  and,  with 
the  mashie,  balance  and  lightness.  The  use 
of  these  different  clubs  varies  according  to 
the  fancy  of  the  player  ;  one  who  likes  the 
lightness  of  a  mashie  using  it  with  a  full 
swing  where  another  would  use  a  mid- 
iron  with  a  half  swing  ;  and  one  who  gets 
better  execution  with  his  lofter  using  it  in 


Approaching. 

60 

short  approaches  where  another  would  use 
a  mashie. 

With  every  approach  shot,  whichever 
club  is  used,  there  are  certain  problems 
which  have  to  be  decided  before  the  stroke 
is  made. 

First :  It  must  be  decided  whether  a 
full  swing,  a  three-quarter  swing,  a  half 
swing,  a  quarter  swing,  or  a  wrist  swing 
should  be  used,  for  the  longer  the  swing 
the  more  power  and  the  greater  distance. 
By  varying,  then,  the  length  and  the  speed 
of  the  swing,  the  distance  which  the  ball 
will  travel  can  always  be  definitely  deter- 
mined, the  length  of  the  swing  and  the 
speed  being  a  gauge  to  fix  the  distance 
which  the  ball  can  go.  The  impetus, 
therefore,  which  is  to  be  sent  into  the  ball 
is  not  to  be  determined  by  the  amount  of 
strength  put  into  the  swing,  but  by  the 
length  and  speed  of  the  swing  ;  for,  if  this 
were  not  so,  the  amount  of  impetus  being 
dependent  upon  the  will  alone  there  would 
be  no  definite  basis  for  accuracy.  The 
swing,  then,  should  always  be  made  with 
the  same  amount  of  strength,  and  the  dis- 
tance which  the  ball  is  to  be  driven  based 
upon  the  length  and  speed  of  the  swing 
taken. 

Second :     In    making    approach     shots 
when  there  is  an  obstacle  between  the  ball 


Different  Strokes. 
61 

and  the  hole  which  makes  a  lofted  ball 
necessary,  it  must  be  decided  whether  it  is 
safer  to  pitch  the  ball  dead  or  to  have  it 
run  after  it  strikes  the  ground.  If  the  ball 
is  to  have  a  run,  the  arms  must  stretch  out 
with  the  backward  swing  so  that  with  the 
forward  swing  the  club  head  can  give 
the  ball  a  forward  spin.  Because  of  this 
lengthening  out  of  the  arms,  the  stroke  is 
called  the  stiff  arm  stroke.  If,  however, 
the  ball  is  to  be  made  to  fall  dead  because 
there  is  also  an  obstacle  just  beyond  the 
hole,  it  must  be  given  a  backward  spin. 
To  give  it  this  backward  spin,  the  arms 
must  bend  with  the  swing  instead  of  sweep- 
ing out  and  because  of  this  bending  of  the 
arms  the  stroke  is  called  the  bent  arm 
stroke.  When,  however,  instead  of  the 
obstruction  being  between  the  ball  and  the 
hole,  the  only  obstruction  is  just  beyond 
the  hole,  it  must  be  decided  whether  it  is 
safer  to  play  a  lofting  shot,  a  cutting  ap- 
proach shot  which  makes  the  ball  fall  dead 
without  much  loft,  or  a  running  approach 
shot  which  runs  the  ball  along~the  ground. 
In  this  case  the  condition  of  the  ground  and 
the  direction  and  force  of  the  wind  become 
factors.  When,  however,  the  ball  is  in  a 
cup  and  the  club  head  has  to  dig  into  the 
ground  to  get  at  it,  a  stroke  known  as  the 
chop  or  jerk  stroke  has  to  be  used. 


Approaching. 


62 


Approach  shots,  then,  subdivide  into 

!Full  swing. 
|  swing. 
5  swing. 
\  swing. 
Wriot  swing. 

'Balls  having  a  run 
or  the  stiff  arm 
stroke,  sometimes 
called  the  swinging 
approach  stroke. 


(Lofting  Approach   Strokes 
Cutting  Approach  Stroke 
Running  Approach  Stroke 


Balls  without  a  run 
or  the  bent  arm 
stroke. 


The    chop    or     jerk 
^stroke. 


Suggestions  Applying  to  all  Approach  Shots. 

Before  making  the  swing,  rest  the  club 
head  for  a  moment  close  behind  the  ball. 

Make  every  approach  shot  deliberately, 
because  in  using  a  short  handled  club  one 
is  apt  to  swing  the  club  around  the  body 
and  either  slice  or  pull  the  ball. 

Do  not  use  an  iron  with  the  face  laid 
further  back  than  necessary.  If  the  face 
is  laid  far  back  the  more  the  club  head  gets 
under  the  ball  the  higher  it  goes  into  the 
air  and  the  less  in  distance,  the  slightest 
variation  in  the  point  of  contact  affecting 
its  forward  flight. 

With  extremely  lofted  irons,  remember 
that  the  harder  the  ball  is  hit  the  higher  it 
goes  into  the  air.  Consequently,  the  less 
will  be  its  forward  flight  and  as  more  under 


Suggestions. 


spin  will  be  given  it  the  more  dead  it  will 
fall. 

Do  not  try  to  regulate  the  distance  by 
checking  the  swing.  With  the  thought  of 
clipping,  one  is  seldom  up. 

Never  press  an  approach  shot  but  play 
with  that  club  which  gives  an  easy  com- 
mand of  the  distance.  If  there  is  any  doubt 
of  reaching  the  green  with  a  quarter  swing, 
do  not  hesitate  to  take  a  half  swing. 

Remember  that  in  approaching  against 
the  wind,  the  amateur  is  seldom  up  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  he  conscientiously 
tries  to  play  a  stroke  which  would  carry  the 
ball  to  the  green. 

Remember  that  the  shorter  the  distance 
the  more  liable  is  one  to  take  his  eye  from 
the  ball  and  to  look  at  the  hole. 

Remember  that  the  reason  why  ap- 
proaching is  the  weak  point  in  most  players' 
game  is  because  they  spaie  their  short  ap- 
proaches and  force  their  long  ones.  In 
short  approaches,  therefore,  play  to  send 
the  ball  a  little  beyond  the  hole  and  allow 
for  a  probable  error  in  some  part  of  the 
stroke,  and  in  long  approach  shots  keep  in 
mind  that  the  distance  which  the  ball  is  to 
travel  is  to  be  determined  by  the  length  of 
the  backward  swing  and  not  by  the  strength 
put  into  the  stroke. 


Stiff  Arm  Stroke. 

64 

The  Stiff  Arm  Stroke  or  the  Lofting 
Approach  Stroke  which  gives  a  Run  to 
the  Ball. 

With  all  stiff  arm  shots,  the  weight  of 
the  club  should  be  carried  largely  in 
the  left  hand,  the  swing  being  made  with 
that  pendulum  movement 
which  one  would  use  in 
throwing  a  heavy  ham- 
mer, the  wrists  having 
little,  if  any,  conscious 
play,  the  left  arm  and 
wrist  being  almost  straight 

Now  for  a  slide.  &  & 

when  making  the  swing. 
"Slow  back,"  with  a  pause  at  the  end  of 
the  backward  swing,  is  the  maxim  of  all 
others  to  follow  as  the  stroke  is  not  the  true 
golfing  swing  used  in  driving  and  does  not 
demand  any  harmony  of  motion  with  the 
forward  swing. 

The  Full  Swing. 

With  a  full  swing  from  80  to  130  yards 
is  the  distance  which,  according  to  the  skill 
of  the  player,  the  ball  should  be  sent.  In 

making  the  stroke  : 
t> 

(i)  Stand  facing  the  line  of  flight  and 
more  over  the  ball  than  for  driving,  the 
hands  nearer  the  body,  the  left  elbow  bend- 
ing out  and  the  right  elbow  close  to  the 
side  ;  the  ball  a  little  to  the  left  of  the  centre 


Full  Swing. 


of  the  body,  so  that  it  will  be  hit  as  the  club 
head  is  rising  from  the  ground  to  give  it  a 
forward  spin,  the  right  foot  back  of  the  left, 
the  weight  of  the  body  on  the  left  leg  and 
both  feet  pointing  well  out. 


1 


a  b  —  the  sweep  of  the  iron. 
c  d —  the  forward  spin. 


(2)  Hold  the  club  in  the  left  hand,  with 
a  firm  grip  the  same  as  when  driving,  the 
hand  being  well  over,  the  fingers  pressing 
tightly  around  the  shaft  to  get  as  firm  a 
grip  as  possible,  the  thumb  being  across 

NOTE.  —  In  this  and  the  following  diagrams  remember 
that  the  figures  given  are  only  to  show  approximately  the 
relative  distances. 


Stiff  Arm  Stroke, 


66 


the  shaft.  Hold  the  club  in  the  right  hand 
in  the  palm  next  the  fingers,  the  same  as 
when  using  the  finger  grip  in  driving, 
except  that  the  club  should  be  held  loosely, 
the  hand  being  well  over  and  the  thumb 
diagonally  across  the  shaft. 


(3)  Make  the  backward  swing  the  same 
as  in  driving,  sweeping  the  club  head  along 
the  ground  as  far  as  the  arms  will  carry  it, 
the  left  wrist  being  kept  stiff  and  taut,  the 
left    shoulder    swinging  well    down,    and 
the  right  elbow  moving  from   the  body  as 
the  club  rises.   At  the  end  of  the  backward 
swing  the  hands  should  be  well  above  the 
shoulders  with  the  head  of  the  iron  almost 
as  far  over  as  the  left  hip. 

(4)  With  the  forward  swing,  let  the 
left  hand  carry  the  weight  of  the  club,  the 


Three-quarter  Swing. 

67 

right  hand  simply  guiding  it.  See  also  that 
the  arms  stretch  well  out  before  bringing 
the  right  shoulder  down,  the  right  elbow 
coming  around  close  to  the  body  so  as  not 
to  slice  the  ball. 

(5)  With  the  finish  of  the  follow 
through,  one  should  be  squarely  facing  the 
hole,  the  shoulders  fairly  level  and  the 
weight  of  the  body  on  the  left  foot ;  but,  be- 
cause with  an  iron,  one  swings  the  club  less 
in  an  ellipse  than  when  driving,  the  follow 
through  should  always  end  over  and  back 
of  the  left  shoulder. 

Suggestions. 

Because  the  swing  is  in  a  shorter  ellipse 
than  in  driving,  one  is  apt  to  swing  the  club 
around  the  body  and  slice  the  ball.  Be 
careful,  therefore,  to  keep  the  right  elbow 
close  to  the  body  with  the  forward  swing. 

Because  it  is  a  difficult  thing  not  to  slice 
the  ball,  bear  in  mind  that  if  the  ball  is 
sliced,  it  will  probably  break  to  the  right 
on  striking  the  ground.  Aim,  therefore,  to 
drop  the  ball  to  the  left  of  the  hole.  To  the 
finished  golfer,  an  approach  shot  thus  accu- 
rately played  with  a  slice  gives  as  much 
pleasure  as  a  long  drive. 

The  Three-quarter  Swing. 

For  most  players,  a  ball  no  yards 
from  the  hole  is  at  a  very  unsatisfactory 


Stiff  Ann  Stroke. 


68 


distance,  being  too  far  away  for  a  half  iron 
shot  and  not  far  enough  for  a  full  shot. 
The  distance,  then,  between  70  and  no 
yards  approximates  the  distance  for  a  three 
quarter  swing.  In  making  the  stroke 

( i )  Grasp  the  shaft  the  same  as  for  the 
full  swing  and  stand  with  the  ball  a  little  to 
the  left  of  the  centre  of  the  body.  Because 
the  swing  is  not  so  far  back  as  when  mak- 
ing a  full  swing,  stand  with  the  feet  closer 
together,  and  with  both  feet  pointing  out, 
the  right  foot  being  on  the  same  line  with 
the  left  so  that  less  momentum  of  the  body 
will  go  into  the  swing. 


Three  Quarter  Swing. 

69 

(2)  With    the  backward  swing  carry 
the  club   head  along  the   ground  the  same 
as  when  making   a  full  swing,    swinging 
back  until  the  hands  are  a  little  above  the 
level  of  the  shoulders  and  the  shaft  parallel 
with  the  ground.     Because  the  shoulders 
do  not   swing  so  far   around,  the  stroke  is 
largely  made  by  the  arms  working  on  the 
joints  of  the  shoulders,  the  shoulder  blades 
being  taut  and  only  moving  with  the  body, 
the  right  elbow  keeping  close   to  the  body 
and  the  left  foot  not  rising  much  from  the 
ground. 

(3)  With  the  forward  swing  do  not  let 
the  right  shoulder    swing  as  far  down  as 
when  making  a  full  swing.     By  swinging 
the  right  shoulder  down  too  far  the  stroke 
becomes  a  bad  full  iron   shot  and  its  effec- 
tiveness is  lost,  as  the  head  of  the  club  can- 
not describe  the  proper  ellipse.     Because 
one  is  apt  to  swing  the  right  shoulder  down 
too  far,  the  three-quarter  stroke  is  quite  the 
most  dangerous  stroke  of  golf. 

(4)  With    the    finish     of    the    follow 
through,  the  shaft  of  the  club  should  be  rest- 
ing on  the  left  shoulder  and  be  parallel  with 
the  ground. 

Suggestions. 

Avoid  haste.  By  pausing  at  the  top  of 
the  backward  swing  there  is  less  liability 
of  slicing  the  ball. 


Stiff  Arm  Stroke. 

70 

With  the  thought  of  shortening  the  dis- 
tance which  the  ball  is  to  travel,  one  is  apt 
to  take  a  full  backward  swing  and  check 
it  with  the  concussion.  But  remember 
that,  by  clipping  the  swing,  there  is  no 
basis  to  gauge  the  amount  of  momentum 
which  is  to  go  into  the  ball. 


The  Half  Swing. 

When  the  hole  is  less  than  90  and  more 
than  40  yards  away,  the  distance  is  regu- 
lated, according  to  the  skill  of  the  player, 
by  shortening  the  swing  from  a  three  quar- 
ter swing  down  to  a  half  swing. 

In  making  the  stroke  with  a  half  swing, 
the  elbows  and  wrists  bend  but  little,  the 
essence  of  the  stroke  not  being  a  move- 
ment of  the  forearms  and  wrists  but  the 
proper  management  of  the  shoulders  and 
upper  arms  which  must  work  in  a  pendu- 
lum movement  in  harmony  with  the  body. 
In  making  the  stroke 

(i)  Stand  facing  the  line  of  flight 
with  the  ball  a  little  to  the  left  of  the  centre 
of  the  body  the  same  as  when  making  a 
full  swing,  the  weight  of  the  body  being 
wholly  on  the  right  leg,  the  feet  closer  to- 
gether than  for  the  three-quarter  swing, 
the  right  foot  nearer  the  ball  than  the  left 


Half  Swing. 


and  pointing  to  the  right  of  it,  and  the  left 
foot  pointing  well  to  the  left  of  it. 


(2)  Grasp  the  club  the  same  as  for  the 
full  swing  but  with  both  hands  well  down 
the  shaft.      Keep  the  wrists  stiff  and  taut, 
the  left  elbow  being  bent  out  and  the  right 
elbow  held  only  fairly  close  to  the  body  in 
order  to  give  freedom  to  the  swing. 

(3)  With  the  backward  swing,  sweep 
the  club  head   along  the  ground  as   far  as 
the  left  arm  will  carry  it,  the  left  shoulder 
swinging  well  down  and  well   in   front  of 
the  body.     With  the  left  arm  straightening 
well  out,  raise  the  club  from   the  shoulder 


Stiff  Arm  Stroke, 

72 

until  the  hands  are  nearly  on  a  level  with  the 
.  -  right  shoulder  and  the  shaft  a  little  beyond 
the  perpendicular.  With  the  backward 
swing,  the  left  elbow  and  wrist  should  be 
kept  nearly  rigid,  the  right  elbow  moving 
away  from  the  body  as  the  right  wrist 
turns,  the  left  foot  turning  on  the  side  but 
without  rising  at  the  heel,  the  right  knee 
bending  but  little  and  the  left  knee  knuck- 
ling well  in. 

(4)  With  the  forward  swing,  do  not 
let  the  left  shoulder  swing  too  far  around. 
Keep   the  right   elbow  close  to    the   body 
and   straighten  it  out  as  it  passes  in  front 
of    the    body.     With    the    forward    swing 
loosen  the  grip  with  the  right  hand  so  that 
the  left  hand  shall  carry  the  weight    of  the 
club. 

(5)  With  the  follow  through,  the  right 
foot  rises  a  little  on  the  toes  and  with  the 
finish  of  the  follow  through  one  should  be 
squarely    facing    the    hole,    the    shoulders 
nearly  level,  the  club  well  in  the  air  and  on 
the  line  of  flight,  and  with  the  shaft  a  little 
beyond  the  perpendicular. 

Suggestions. 

Swing  back  slowly,  more  slowly  and 
deliberately  than  when  making  a  full  iron 
or  three-quarter  stroke  and  with  a  percep- 


Quarter  Swing. 
73 

tible    pause    at    the  end    of  the   backward 
swing. 

Remember  that  following  through  along 
the  line  of  flight  is  an  important  part  of  the 
stroke  to  prevent  slicing  or  pulling  the  ball. 

In  playing  against  a  stiff  wind  where 
there  is  no  bunker  to  go  over,  use  a  half 
swing  with  a  cleek,  but  remember  that  the 
ball  travels  low  and  with  great  running 
power. 

The  Quarter  Swing . 

When  a  ball  is  less  than  40  yards  from 
the  hole  and  the  ground  is  smooth,  a 
wooden  putter  is  often  used  or  a  running 
approach  shot  made  with  a  cleek.  But 
when  the  ground  is  rough  or  a  bunker 
guards  the  putting  green,  a  quarter  stroke 
is  necessary,  a  stroke  most  deadly  and  tell- 
ing when  properly  played.  It  is  in  the 
effective  use  of  this  stroke  that  the  expert 
excels  ;  the  difficulty  in  making  it  not  being 
that  it  requires  any  special  skill,  but  be- 
cause one  has  instinctively  to  know  the  right 
amount  of  force  to  put  into  the  stroke  with- 
out having  the  backward  swing  as  a  gauge 
to  determine  its  accuracy.  In  making  the 
stroke 

( I )  Stand  facing  the  line  of  flight  with 
the  bail  a  little  to  the  left  of  the  centre 


Stiff  Arm  Stroke. 


74 


of  the  body.  Grasp  the  club  the  same  as 
for  the  full  swing  but  further  down  the  shaft, 
the  right  foot  being  nearer  the  ball  than  for 
a  half  stroke  and  both  feet  closer  together, 
the  weight  of  the  body  being  wholly  on  the 
right  foot,  the  left  foot  pointing  towards  the 
hole  and  the  right  foot  at  a  right  angle  to 
the  line  of  flight. 


(2)  With  the  backward  swing,  let  the 
left  arm  swing  from  the  shoulder,  the  right 
elbow  moving  a  little  from  the  side  of  the 
body,  the  left  knee  knuckling  a  little  to  the 
right  but  with  none  of  the  momentum  of 
the  body  added  as  when  making  a  half 
swing.  With  this  backward  swing  carry 


Quarter  Swing. 
75 

the  club  head  along  the  ground  as  far  as  the 
left  arm  will  take  it,  the  wrists  being  stiff 
and  taut  and  the  left  shoulder  swinging  well 
down.  When  the  left  arm  is  straightened 
out,  raise  the  club  until  the  hands  are  on  a 
level  with  the  hips  and  the  shaft  half  way 
to  the  perpendicular.  If  a  longer  back- 
ward swing  is  made,  the  stroke  becomes  a 
bad  half  iron  stroke  because  the  stance  is 
wrong  for  a  half  swing  and  the  swing  is 
too  long  for  the  stance  taken  for  a  quarter 
swing. 

(3)  With  the  forward  swing,  keep  the 
right  elbow  close  to  the  body  so  that   the 
club  head  will  travel  along  the  line  of  flight, 
swinging  the  right  shoulder  well  down  and 
keeping    the    left    shoulder    well   forward, 
loosening  the  grip  of  the  right  hand  with 
the  swing. 

(4)  With  the  follow  through,  the  right 
arm   should    straighten  out    and   with    the 
finish  of  the  follow  through  the  club  should 
be  on  the  line  of  flight  and  pointing  towards 
the  hole. 

Suggestions. 

With  these  short  approach  shots,  always 
try  to  hole  the  ball  even  if  the  odds  are  a 
thousand  to  one  against  it.  It  may  go  in, 
and  if  it  does  not  it  is  more  likely  to  lie 
close  to  the  hole  than  if  only  a  vague  try 
had  been  made  to  get  somewhere  near  it. 


Stiff  Arm  Stroke. 

76 

Do  not  be  afraid  to  carry  the  club  well 
back  even  for  the  shortest  stroke.  A  long, 

o  * 

slow  stroke  will  not  carry  any  further  than 
a  short,  quick  one  and  will  give  more  uni- 
form and  satisfactory  results. 

Remember  that  the  ball  will  have  a  run. 
Take  time,  therefore,  to  decide  how  far  the 
ball  will  roll  and  pitch  it  on  the  putting 
green  far  enough  away  from  the  hole. 

Remember  that  the  stroke  is  largely  a 
movement  of  the  right  forearm  and  the  left 
upper  arm,  that  the  body  remains  motion- 
less, and  that  the  wrists  should  be  stiff  and 
taut. 

Remember  that  in  neither  the  backward 
nor  forward  swing  does  the  club  head  leave 
the  line  of  flight. 

Remember  that  there  is  always  the 
thought  of  sending  the  ball  too  far  and 
checking  the  swing  with  the  concussion. 
Keep  in  mind,  therefore,  the  follow  through 
or  the  ball  will  not  go  as  far  as  intended. 

Remember  the  old  maxim  "that  the 
one  who  can  make  a  good  short  approach 
shot  does  not  need  to  learn  to  putt." 

The  Wrist  Swing. 

The  wrist  shot  is  a  stroke  which  many 
otherwise  good  players  never  acquire,  a 


Wrist  Swing. 

77 

stroke  especially  useful  when  the  ground  is 
too  rough  to  use  a  putter,  or  when  a  bunker 
is  in  front  of  the  ball  and  there  is  good 
running  ground  on  the  other  side.  Calling 
it  a  wrist  shot,  however,  is  a  misnomer  as 
more  properly  it  should  be  called  a  forearm 
shot.  In  making  the  stroke 

(i)  Stand  with  the  ball  a  little  to  the 
left  of  the  centre  of  the  body  and  half 
facing  the  hole,  the  feet  closer  together 
than  for  the  quarter  stroke,  the  left  foot 
pointing  towards  the  hole,  the  right  foot 
pointing  towards  the  ball. 


(2)  Grasp  the  club  the  same  as  for 
the  full  swing,  but  with  the  hands  well 
down  the  shaft  and  the  club  held  loosely  in 
the  fingers  of  the  right  hand,  the  looser  the 


Stiff  Ann  Stroke. 

78 

better,  if  looseness  can  be   combined  with 
accuracy. 


(3)  With    the    backward    swing,    the 
left    arm    and   right    forearm    only   should 
move,   the  wrists  being  stiff'  and  taut,  the 
body  and  right  upper  arm  being  stationary, 
the  right  elbow  pressing  against  the  side  of 
the  body. 

(4)  With  the  forward  swing  keep  the 
wrists  stiff  and  taut  and  make  the  swing  by 
moving  the  left  arm  and  right  forearm. 

(5)  With  the  follow  through   the  club 
should  be  pointing  towards  the  hole  and  on 
the  line  of  flight. 

Suggestions. 

Because  the  swing  is  short,  be  careful 
not  to  check  it  with  the  concussion. 

Be  careful  also  not  to  slice  the  ball  be- 
cause of  the  short  forward  swing. 


Bent  tArm  Stroke. 


79 


The  Bent  *Arm  Stroke  or  the  Lofting  Ap- 
proach Stroke  which  does  not  give  a 
Run  to  the  Ball. 

To  make  a  ball  fall  dead  one  must 
pitch  it  high  enough  into  the  air  to  make 
it  come  down  perpendicularly  and  with 
enough  backward  spin  to 
make  it  bite  into  the  ground. 
To  send  the  ball  high  into 
the  air  and  also  to  give  it 
this  backward  spin,  the  club 
head  must  hit  well  under 
the  ball.  To  do  this  the 
elbows  must  bend  with  the 
swing  so  that  the  club  head 
will  describe  a  circle  instead  of  an  ellipse, 
the  stroke  being  a  hit  more  than  a  pendu- 
lum swing.  In  making  a  bent  arm  stroke 

(i )  wStand  with  the  ball  to  the  right  of 
the  centre  of  the  body  so  that  it  will  be  hit 
as  the  club  head  is  descending,  the  position 
of  the  feet  always  being  the  same  as  when 
making  the  different  stiff  arm  strokes. 


A  high  ball. 


a  b  —  the  sweep  of  the  iron. 
c  d — the  backward  spin. 


i  —  the  stance  for  a  full  swing. 
3 — the  stance    for    a   quarter 
swing. 


2  —  the  stance  for  a  half  swing. 
4  —  the     stance     for    a    wrist 
swing. 


Bent  Arm  Stroke. 
81 

(2)  Hold  the  club  in  the  left  hand  the 
same  as  when  making  a  stiff  arm  shot,  but 
in  the  right  hand,  hold  it  in  the  palm  next 
the  upper  joint  of  the  thumb  with  the 
thumb  straight  across  the  shaft,  the  hand 
being  enough  under  to  have  the  first  joints 
of  the  fingers  uppermost,  the  grip  only  dif- 
fering from  the  thumb  grip  taken  in  driv- 
ing in  not  having  the  right  hand  quite  as 
far  under,  the  object  of  this  grip  being  to 
have  the  wrists  work  easily  with  the  per- 
pendicular upward  swing. 


(3)  With  the  backward  swing,  carry 
the  club  along  the  ground  only  as  far  as 
the  right  forearm  will  take  it  without  mov- 
ing the  right  elbow  from  the  body  ;  for  the 
full  swing  bringing  the  club  up  over  the 
right  shoulder  by  bending  both  elbows 
and  both  wrists  ;  for  the  half  swing,  bring- 
ing it  up  perpendicularly,  the  hands  being 


'Bent  Arm  Stroke. 

82 

half  way  between  the  hip  and  the  shoulder  ; 
for  the  quarter  iron  and  wrist  swing  bring- 
ing it  up  for  a  less  distance,  in  this  latter 
case  the  distance  being  regulated  by  the 
amount  of  momentum  put  into  the  stroke. 

(4)  With  the  forward  swing,  bring  the 
club  head  around  slowly,  for  extra  strength 
will  only  send  the  ball  higher  and  no  extra 
distance  will  be  gained.  Because  the  club 
head  comes  down  perpendicularly  it  should 
be  nipped  upward  by  a  quick  movement  of 
the  right  wrist  as  it  strikes  the  ball ;  other- 
wise, the  club  head  may  go  too  much  into 
the  ground  and  a  part  of  the  backward  spin 
which  the  ball  should  receive  and  which  is 
the  essence  of  the  stroke  is  lost.  With  the 
forward  swing,  the  grip  of  the  left  hand 
should  be  loosened  so  that  the  right  hand 
blow  will  not  be  checked. 

(5)  In  following  through,  if  a  full 
swing  is  made,  the  club  should  swing 
around  the  left  shoulder  and  not  over  it ; 
if  a  half,  or  a  quarter  swing  is  made,  the 
shaft  should  be  almost  perpendicular  and 
to  the  left  of  the  line  of  flight  and  with  the 
wrist  shot  it  should  be  pointing  along  the 
line  of  flight. 

For  the  wrist  stroke  most  of  the  momen- 
tum comes  from  a  movement  of  the  wrists 
alone,  the  club  being  held  loosely  in  the 
fingers  of  the  left  hand,  the  looser  toe  bet- 
ter, but  held  in  the  right  hand  so  that  one 


Suggestions. 
8.3 

can  feel  a  sympathetic  tingle  in  the  fingers, 
the  iron  going  back  no  further  than  the 
turn  of  the  wrists  will  take  it,  the  forearms 
remaining  almost  stationary  as  the  whole 
movement  is  an  upward  turn  of  the  wrists 
instead  of  a  backward  swing. 


Suggestions. 

With  the  bent  arm  stroke,  a  three- 
quarter  swing  is  never  used,  not  only  be- 
cause it  is  a  difficult  stroke  to  make  but 
because  the  ball  flies  high  and  the  distance 
would  be  practically  the  same  as  if  a  full 
swing  were  made. 

As  the  object  of  the  stroke  is  to  send 
the  ball  high,  a  lofter  or  mashie  should  be 
used  and  not  a  mid-iron  or  driving  mashie. 

As  it  is  necessary  to  hit  well  under  the 
ball,  make  up  your  mind  to  take  some  turf 


Stiff  and  Bent  <Arm  Strokes. 

84 

with  the  stroke  but   be  sure  that  it   is  turf 
taken  after  the  ball  is  hit. 

Remember  that  the  ball  flies  high  and 
that  a  full  swing  should  be  used  where  with 
the  stiff  arm  stroke  a  three-quarter  or  a  half 
swing  would  be  used. 

In  making  short  approaches,  many 
players,  instead  of  giving  the  ball  a  back- 
ward spin  by  hitting  well  under  it,  top  the 
ball  and  in  this  way  get  the  same  back- 
ward spin,  as  the  ball  is  driven  into  the 
ground  with  the  forward  spin  from  which  it 
rebounds  with  the  spin  reversed. 

Never  use  a  bent  arm  stroke  if  another 
will  do  as  well. 

(1)  Because,  the  swing  not  being  in  an 
ellipse,  one  is  apt  either  to  top  the  ball  or  to 
get  so  much  under  it  that  too  much  turf  is 
taken  and  the  essence  of  the  stroke  is  lost. 

(2)  Because  the  swing  is  sometimes 
less  than  a  circle  and  consequently  one  is 
apt  to  slice  the  ball  and  make  it  break  to 
the  right. 

(3)  Because  the  difference  of  a  hair's 
breadth  in  the  point  of  concussion  will  affect 
materially  the  distance  which  the  ball  will 
travel. 

Differences  between  Stiff  and  Bent  *Arm  Strokes. 

For  all  stiff'  arm  strokes,  one  stands  with 
the  ball  to  the  left  of  the  centre  of  the  body, 


Summary. 
85 

the  club  head  swinging  backward  along  the 
ground  as  far  as  the  arms  can  carry  it 
with  a  pendulum  movement.  For  all  bent 
arm  strokes,  one  stands  with  the  ball  to  the 
right  of  the  centre  of  the  body,  the  stroke  be- 
ing a  hit  rather  than  a  pendulum  swing,  the 
club  head  being  carried  along  the  ground 
only  the  length  of  the  right  forearm.  For 
a  stiff  arm  stroke,  the  right  hand  grasps  the 
shaft  loosely  in  the  palm  next  the  fingers,  the 
club  being  carried  largely  by  the  left  hand. 
For  a  bent  arm  stroke,  the  right  hand 
grasps  the  club  in  the  palm  next  the  thumb, 
and  the  club  is  firmly  grasped  in  both 
hands.  With  a  stiff  arm  stroke,  the  right 
elbow  moves  away  from  the  body  with  the 
backward  swing,  and  with  a  half  swing 
the  hands  are  carried  back  to  a  level  with 
the  left  shoulder  and  the  left  knee  knuckles 
in.  With  a  bent  arm  stroke,  the  right 
elbow  is  kept  close  to  the  body  with  the 
backward  swing,  and  with  a  half  swing  the 
hands  are  carried  back  half  way  between 
the  hip  and  shoulder  there  being  no  knuck- 
ling in  of  the  left  knee.  With  the  forward 
swing  with  a  stiff  arm  stroke,  the  club 
head  comes  in  contact  with  the  ball  as  it  is 
ascending  from  the  ground  which  gives  the 
ball  a  forward  spin  and  with  a  «t>ent  arm 
stroke  it  comes  in  contact  with  the  ball  as  it 
is  descending  to  the  ground  which  gives  it 


Stiff  and  Bent  Arm  Strokes. 

86 

a  backward  spin.  In  all  stiff  arm  strokes, 
the  grip  of  the  right  hand  is  loosened  with 
the  forward  swing  and  in  all  bent  arm 
strokes  the  grip  of  the  left  hand.  In  all 
stiff  arm  strokes,  the  arc  of  the  circle 
becomes  more  and  more  flattened  as  one 
goes  from  a  full  swing  to  a  wrist  shot  while 
with  the  bent  arm  strokes  the  arc  becomes 
less  flattened  as  one  goes  from  a  full 
swing  to  a  wrist  shot.  In  all  stiff  arm 
wrist  shots,  both  wrists  are  held  stiff  and 
taut,  the  stroke  being  made  largely  with  the 
forearms.  In  all  bent  arm  wrist  shots,  the 
stroke  is  made  almost  wholly  with  a  wrist 
movement.  In  the  follow  through  with  a 
stiff  arm  stroke,  the  club  swings  over  the 
left  shoulder  with  a  full  shot  and  along  the 
line  of  flight  with  a  half,  quarter,  or  wrist 
shot,  wrhile  with  a  bent  arm  stroke  the  club 
swings  around  the  left  shoulder  with  a  full 
swing,  to  the  left  of  the  line  of  flight  with  a 
half  or  quarter  shot,  and  along  the  line  of 
flight  with  a  wrist  shot. 

SUMMARY  OF  BOTH  STROKES. 

The  Stance. 

For  the  quarter  iron  and  wrist  shot,  one 
should  stand  well  over  the  ball,  the  dis- 
tance one  stands  from  the  ball  increasing 
as  one  plays  a  half,  three  quarter  or  a  full 


Summary. 
87 

iron  stroke.  For  the  full  swing,  the  right 
foot  is  back  of  the  left ;  for  the  three- 
quarter  swing  it  is  parallel  with  the  left ;  for 
the  half  swing  it  is  in  front  of  the  left ;  for 
the  quarter  and  wrist  swings  it  moves  still 
closer  to  the  ball  ;  for  the  wrist  swing  point" 
ing  towards  it.  For  the  full  swing,  the 
weight  of  the  body  is  almost  wholly  on  the 
left  foot ;  for  the  three-quarter  swing  it  is 
equally  on  both  feet ;  for  the  half  swing  it  is 
largely  on  the  right  foot ;  and  for  the  quar- 
ter and  wrist  swings  it  is  wholly  on  the 
right  foot. 

The  Grip. 

Hold  the  shaft  more  and  more  down 
the  leather  in  playing  from  the  full  iron  to 
the  wrist  shot,  so  that  with  these  different 
strokes  less  momentum  of  the  body  will  go 
into  the  stroke  with  the  swing. 

The  Arms. 

In  playing  from  the  full  iron  to  the  wrist 
shot,  as  the  right  foot  moves  nearer  the  ball, 
the  backward  swing  gradually  becomes 
shorter.  There  is,  therefore,  less  move- 
ment of  the  arms  and  less  bending  of  the 
elbows.  For  all  stiff'  and  bent  arm  strokes, 
the  left  elbow  should  always  point  well  out, 
but  in  the  stiff  arm  strokes  the  right  elbow  is 
held  closer  to  the  body  as  one  plays  from 
the  full  iron  to  the  wrist  shot  and  in  the  bent 


Stiff  and  Bent  tArm  Strokes. 

88 

arm  strokes  it  should  always  be  held  close 
to  the  body. 


The  Swing. 

In  moving  the  right  foot  towards  the 
ball,  the  weight  of  the  body  is  transferred 
more  and  more  to  the  right  leg,  there  being 
less  pivoting  on  the  feet  and  less  momentum 
of  the  body  in  the  swing. 


The  Flight  of  the  Ball. 

The  momentum    which    goes    into    the 
ball  is  lessened 

(1)  By  a   gradual   shortening   of  the 
swing. 

(2)  By  a  gradual    shortening  of  the 
grip  on  the  shaft. 

(3)  By  a  gradual  moving  of  the  right 
foot  towards  the  ball. 

(4)  By  a  gradual  bringing  of  the  feet 
closer  together. 

(5)  By  a  gradual  facing  towards  the 
hole. 

The  amount    of   run  given  the  ball  is 
determined 

(1)  By  the  amount  of  forward  spin. 

(2)  By  the  amount  of  backward  spin. 

(3)  By  the  amount  of  right  to  left  spin. 

(4)  By  the  amount  of  left  to  right  spin, 


Jerk  Stroke. 


The  Jerk  or  Chop  Stroke. 

When  there  is  a  ridge  so  close  behind  the 
ball  that  the  club  head  has  to  come  down 
perpendicularly  to  get  between  the  obstruc- 
tion and  the  ball,  or  w7hen 
t^ie  °bstruction  is  so  close  in 
front  of  the  ball  that  the  club 
head  has  to  dig  into  the 
ground  under  the  ball  to  get 
it  over  the  obstruction,  an 
up  and  down  stroke,  similar 
to  the  bent  arm  stroke,  is 

Coop  ! 

necessary.  With  this  stroke, 
the  downward  swing  is  so  perpendicular 
that  the  whole  body  feels  the  concussion  of 
the  club  head  with  the  ground,  and  it  is 
therefore  called  the  jerk  or  chop  stroke.  In 
making  the  stroke  the  impact  of  the  club 
head  with  the  ground  adds  so  much  elasticity 
to  the  iron  that  extra  impetus  is  given  the 
ball  which  makes  it  fly  from  the  club  head 
as  if  shot  from  a  catapult,  and  while  not  a 
difficult  stroke  to  make,  it  is  always  a 
mystery  to  .  a  novice  to  know  how  a  ball 
can  fly  from  an  unpromising  lie,  almost,  if 
not  quite  as  far  as  if  lying  clear.  In  mak- 
ing the  stroke  only  a  half  swing  should  be 
used,  but  it  should  be  as  true  a  swing  and 
as  absolutely  free  from  any  jerk  as  any 
other  stroke.  Because  of  the  extra  impetus 
given  the  ball  and  because  there  is  no 


Jerk  Stroke. 


9° 


follow  through  to  affect  its  flight,  many  pro- 
fessionals use  a  jerk  stroke  in  preference  to 
any  other  and  play  into  the  ground  with 
a  full  swing  with  a  brassy,  cleek  or  iron, 
when  the  ball  has  a  good  lie,  the  ball 
going  further  than  if  struck  squarely. 
When,  however,  such  a  stroke  is  used,  the 
ball  should  have  a  grassy  lie  so  that  the 
club  can  get  well  under  it. 


I  — the  half  swing,  bent  arm  stroke. 
2 — the  half  swing,  jerk  stroke. 
a  b  —  the  sweep  of  the  club  head. 


In  making  the  stroke 

(i)  If  the  obstruction  is  behind  the 
ball,  stand  well  in  front  of  the  ball  and 
nearly  facing  the  hole  so  that,  with  the  per- 
pendicular downward  swing,  the  club  head 
can  easily  get  between  the  ball  and  the  ob- 
struction, the  left  foot  pointing  towards  the 
hole,  and  the  right  foot  with  the  heel  on  a 


Jerk  Stroke. 
91 

line  which,  if  drawn  at  a  right  angle  to  the 
line  of  flight,  will  pass  through  the  ball. 


(2)  If  the  obstruction    is    in  front   of 
the  ball,  stand  well  back  of  the  ball  and 
nearly     facing     the 

hole,  the  right  foot 
pointing  towards  the 
ball,  the  left  foot 
pointing  towards  the 
hole  with  the  toes 
on  a  line  which,  if 
drawn  at  a  right 
angle  to  the  line  of 
flight,  will  pass 
through  the  ball. 

(3)  If   the  ob- 
struction is  both  be- 
hind and  in  front  of 

the  ball,  namely,  when  the  bail  is  in  a  cup, 


Jerk  Stroke. 

92 

stand   the  same  as  when  playing  with  the 
obstruction  behind  the  ball. 

In  making  the  swing,  whether  one 
stands  in  front  of  the  ball  or  behind  it, 
keep  the  left  shoulder  squared  more  to  the 
front  than  for  the  stiff  arm  or  bent  arm 
stroke  ;  and,  to  prevent  the  club  turning  in 
the  hands  as  it  digs  into  the  ground,  grasp 
the  shaft  with  as  firm  a  grip  as  possible. 

When  the  obstruction  is  close  behind 
the  ball,  hold  the  club  so  that  the  face  of 
the  iron  will  be  nearly  perpendicular  as  the 
club  descends.  When  the  obstruction  is 
close  in  front  of  the  ball  hold  the  club  with 
the  face  of  the  iron  well  back  so  that  the 
club  head  can  get  well  under  it,  and  play  to 
slice  the  ball.  With  the  backward  swing, 
bring  the  club  up  more  perpendicularly 
than  when  playing  a  bent  arm  stroke  and 
down  more  perpendicularly  with  the  for- 
ward swing.  In  other  respects,  the  stroke 
only  differs  from  the  bent  arm  stroke  in  not 
having  to  loosen  the  left  hand  with  the  for- 
ward swing. 

Because  with  the  forward  swing  the 
club  head  comes  down  vertically  more  or 
less  turf  is  dug  up  with  the  stroke,  but  it 
is  not  turf  behind  the  ball  but  turf  under 
and  in  front  of  the  ball,  the  divot  cut  out, 
if  the  stroke  is  properly  made,  being  the 
width  of  the  iron. 


93 


,b 


,b 


Suggestions. 

\a 


a  b  —  the  sweep  of  the  iron. 
c  —  the  divot  cut  out. 

Suggestions. 

Use  a  mashie  as  less  turf  is  taken  and 
there  is  less  liability  of  the  face  of  the  club 
glancing  off  as  it  strikes  the  ground. 

Although  the  essence  of  the  stroke  is 
digging  the  club  head  into  the  ground,  re- 
member that  if  it  digs  into  the  ground  be- 
fore it  gets  under  the  ball  the  stroke  is 
baffed  and  the  ball  goes  only  a  short  dis- 
tance. 

When  the  obstruction  is  behind  the  ball 
do  not  see  how  straight  you  can  bring  the 
club  down,  but  how  far  you  can  keep  the 
club  head  from  the  ball  without  its  hitting 
the  obstruction. 

Do  not  think  of  the  turf  to  be  dug  up  or 


Jerk  Stroke. 

94 

conscientiously  try  to  cut  out  a  divot  or  you 
will  do  it  too  soon  and  the  effect  of  the 
stroke  will  be  lost. 

Remember  that  the  worse  the  lie,  the 
more  slowly  and  deliberately  the  stroke 
should  be  made,  for  accuracy  and  not  dis- 
tance is  the  thing  desired. 

Because  one  has  in  mind  that  he  is  to 
dig  into  the  turf  he  is  apt  to  bend  too  much 
over  the  ball.  Remember,  therefore,  to 
swing  the  shoulders  well  around  with  the 
back  bone  a  pivot  and  not  to  lean  forward. 

Because  one  has  in  mind  the  jerk,  he  is 
apt  to  shrink  from  the  ball.  Be  careful, 
therefore,  not  to  draw  away  from  the  ball 
with  the  downward  swing. 

As  the  club  head  comes  down  perpen- 
dicularly, great  accuracy  is  necessary  to 
prevent  topping  the  ball.  Keep  the  eye, 
therefore,  not  on  the  ball  but  on  the  ground 
behind  it. 

If  the  ball  has  such  a  bad  lie  that  one 
can  only  expect  to  get  the  ball  on  to  better 
ground,  use  a  quarter  stroke  because,  with 
a  short  swing,  one  is  more  sure  of  swinging 
the  face  of  the  club  between  the  obstruc- 
tion and  the  ball. 

If  the  ball  is  on  soft  ground,  the  stroke 
should  never  be  used  with  the  thought 
of  getting  distance,  as  the  impetus  of  the 
stroke  expends  itself  in  the  ground  without 
much  of  it  going  into  the  ball. 


Suggestions. 
95 

When  the  ball  has  such  a  lie  that  there 
is  a  fronting  face,  the  stroke  is  often  made 
with  a  brassy  or  cleek  and,  if  struck  prop- 
erly, will  fly  as  far  as  if  played  from  a  tee. 

The  stroke  is  also  made  with  a  full 
swing  when  the  ball  is  on  the  edge  of  a 
ridge  or  knob,  or  cocked  up,  as  it  is  called. 
With  such  a  lie  any  club  may  be  used  and 
the  more  the  swing  is  up  and  down  the 
further  the  ball  will  be  driven. 

As  frequently  happens,  the  obstruc- 
tion is  so  close  behind  the  ball  that  it  is 
impossible  to  get  the  face  of  the  iron  be- 
tween it  and  the  ball.  In  such  a  case,  as 
the  club  head  has  to  sweep  through  the  ob- 
struction to  get  under  the  ball,  there  must 
be  an  especially  firm  grip  on  the  shaft. 


a  b- — the  sweep  of  the  iron. 
c — the  divot  cut  out. 


Cutting  Approach  Stroke. 

96 

The  Cutting  ^Approach  Stroke. 

If  one  sweeps  the  club  away  from  the 
body  with  the  backward  swing  so  that  with 
the  forward  swing  it  cuts  diagonally  across 
the    line   of  flight,  one  can 
make  the  ball  bite  into  the 
ground  and  fall  dead  with- 
out rebounding,  the  essence 
of  the  stroke  being  the  very 
sharp  left  to  right  spin  given 
,  thh  is  hard/  the  ball.     This  shot,  which 

is  used  largely  by  all  pro- 
fessionals, is  known  as  the  cutting  approach 
stroke  and  the  ability  to  make  it,  more  than 
any  other  stroke,  separates  the  professional 
player  from  the  first-class  amateur. 
In  making  the  stroke 

(1 )  Stand  with  the  ball  opposite  the  toe 
of  the  left  foot  so  that  the  club  can  swing 
freely  across  the  line  of  flight  and  give  to 
the  ball  as  much  spin  as  possible. 

(2)  Grasp  the  shaft  the  same  as  when 
making  a  stiff  arm  shot  but  hold  it  as  loosely 
in  the  left  hand  as  one  can  and  still  hit  the 
ball  with  accuracy,  in  order  to    give    the 
ball  as  much  spin  as  possible. 

(3)  With  the  backward  swing,   carry 
the  club  head  along  the  ground  but  away 
from  the  body  as  far  as  the  arms  will  reach, 
so  that  with   the  forward    swing  the  club 
head  will  cut  diagonally  across  the  ball,  the 


Cutting  Approach  Stroke. 


97 


rest  of  the  stroke  bemg  the  same  as  when 
making  a  stiff  arm  stroke. 

(4)  With  the  forward  swing,  bring  the 
club  head  around  slowly  and  across  the  line 
of  flight,  striking  the  ball  squarely  in  the 
centre  and  if  possible  on  the  heel  of  the  club 
rather  than  in  the  centre  of  the  face. 

(5)  With  the  follow  through,  let  the 
club  swing  well  to  the  left  of  the  line  of 
flight. 


Cutting  Approach  Stroke. 


a  b  —  the  sweep  of  the  iron, 

1  —  the  half  swing. 

2  —  the  quarter  swing. 

3  —  the  wrist  swing. 


Suggestions. 

Never  make  more  than  a  half  swing  and 
use  a  mid-iron  or  a  cleek  rather  than  a  lofter 
or  a  mashie  so  as  not  to  get  under  the  ball. 

Remember  that,  because  the  club  swings 
diagonally  across  the  line  of  flight,  the  ball 
will  not  travel  as  far  as  if  a  stiff  arm  stroke 
had  been  used. 

Remember  that  the  difficulty  in  making 
the  stroke  is  in  being  able  to  swing  the 
club  head  across  the  line  of  flight  without 
pulling  the  ball. 

Remember  to  keep  the  heel  of  the  iron 


Suggestions. 

99 

well  down  so  that  the  ball  will  be  hit  square- 
ly and  well  forward  so  that  it  will  not  be 
hit  too  near  the  toe  of  the  club.  In  this 
way  one  gets  all  the  benefit  of  drawing  the 
club  head  across  the  ball. 

Because  of  the  spin,  if  the  ball  runs  in- 
stead of  biting  into  the  ground  it  will  break 
to  the  right.  Therefore,  pitch  the  ball  to 
the  left  of  the  hole. 

If  the  ball  is  lying  in  loose  sand,  the 
stroke  should  never  be  used,  as  the  loose- 
ness of  the  sand  so  affects  the  spin  that  the 
ball  is  as  apt  to  fly  to  the  right  or  left  as 
along  the  line  of  flight. 

Because  a  clean  struck  ball  will  roll 
true  on  smooth  ground  and  because  a  ball 
played  with  a  spin  may  not  fall  dead  but 
may  break  to  the  right,  do  not  use  a  cut- 
ting approach  stroke  over  smooth  ground  if 
the  run  which  the  ball  will  have  can  be 
correctly  estimated. 


Running  Approach  Stroke. 


100 


The  Running  Approach  Stroke. 

Unlike  all  other  approaching  strokes  a 
running  approach  stroke  keeps  the  ball 
close  to  the  ground,  the  essence  of  the  stroke 
being  to  give  it  no  spin. 
This  is  done  by  hitting  it 
squarely  in  the  centre  so 
as  not  to  give  it  any  back- 
ward spin  by  hitting  it 
underneath  as  the  club  is 
descending,  or  any  for- 
ward spin  by  hitting  it  underneath  as  the 
club  is  rising. 


Yes,  I'm  coining! 


a  b  —  the  sweep  of  the   club   for   the    running  ap- 
proach stroke. 

c  d  —  the  sweep  of  the  club  for  the  bent  arm  stroke. 
e  f —  the  sweep  of  the  club  for  the  stiff  arm  stroke. 

In  making  the  stroke 

(1)  Take  the  same  stance    as    when 
making  a  bent  arm  stroke,  but  as  the  stroke 
is  made  almost  wholly  by  turning  the  body, 
one  should  stand  further  away  from  the  ball. 

(2)  Grasp  the  club  the  same  as  when 
playing  a  stiff   arm  stroke  but    with   both 
elbows  a  little  out,  holding  the  shaft  more  to 


Running  Approach  Stroke. 
101 

the    left    of  the   body    and    stretching  the 
hands  out  further  in  front  of  the  body. 

(3)  With  the  backward  swing,  keep 
the  joints  of  the  wrists,  arms,  and  shoulders 
almost  rigid,  sweeping  the  club  head  back 
along  the  ground  by  turning  the  body  at  the 
hips  and   by  knuckling  the   left  knee   in, 
keeping  the  arms  nearly  as  straight  as  when 
addressing  the  ball.      When  the  club  head 
rises  from  the   ground,   raise    it    from    the 
shoulders,   holding    the  arms  stiff   as  if  a 
part  of  the  shaft. 

(4)  With    the    forward    swing,  bring 
the  club  around  by  a  similar  reverse  turn- 
ing of  the  body,  the  right  shoulder  coming 
around  well  down. 

(5)  With  the  concussion,  follow  through 
by  bending    the  body  and    knuckling  the 
knees  out,  the  right  shoulder  being  brought 
well  forward. 

Suggestions. 

As  the  object  of  the  stroke  is  to  keep 
the  ball  close  to  the  ground,  a  driver,  cleek, 
or  wooden  putter  should  be  used  and  never 
a  lofter  or  mashie. 

Remember  that  the  secret  of  the  stroke 
is  in  keeping  the  arms  and  wrists  rigid. 

For  short  approaches,  when  the  ground 
is  smooth  enough  to  allow  the  ball  to  run 
true,  make  a  running  approach  rather  than 
a  lofting  one  because,  in  lofting,  if  the  ball 
is  hit  too  much  underneath  it  flies  too  high 
and  does  not  go  far  enough,  and  if  hit  not 
enough  underneath  it  goes  beyond  the  hole. 


Driving  and  Approaching  Positions. 

102 

DIAGRAM  SHOWING 

that  the  positions,  taken  for  the  different  driving  and 
approaching  shots,  are  a  part  of  a  fixed  law  which 
regulates  the  amount  of  momentum  put  into  the 
strokes,  and  that  the  position  of  the  ball  in  refer- 
ence to  the  stance  is  also  regulated  by  a  fixed  law. 


8     h     i 

ooo 


k     I 

oo 

f 


a  a  —  stance  for  full  swing  driver,  brassy,  or  cleek. 
a  b  —  stance  for  three-quarter  swing  driver,  brassy, 

orcleek. 

a  c  —  stance  for  half  swing  driver,  brassy,  or  cleek. 
a  d  —  stance   for   quarter  swing   driver,  brassy,  or 

cleek. 


The  Real  Golfer. 
103 

c  b  —  stance  for  full  swing  with  iron. 

c  c  —  stance  for  three-quarter  swing  with  iron. 

c  d  —  stance  for  half  swing  with  iron. 

c  e  —  stance  for  quarter  swing  with  iron. 

c  f  —  stance  for  wrist  swing  with  iron. 

g  —  position  of  ball  for  all  swings  with  driver. 

h  —  position  of  ball  for  all  swings  with  brassy. 

i  —  position  of  ball  for  all  swings  with  cleek. 

j  —  position  of  ball  for  all  stiff  arm  iron  shots. 

k  —  position  of  ball  for  all  bent  arm  iron  shots, 
and  running  approach  shots. 

/  —  position  of  ball  for  all  jerk  shots  when  the 
obstruction  is  behind  the  ball. 

The  finished  golfer,  then,  by  changing 
his  stance  and  regulating  the  length  of  his 
swing,  is  able  to  determine  the  distance 
which  the  ball  will  travel.  His  first 
thought,  therefore,  should  be  to  see  that 
he  gets  a  proper  stance,  as  he  instinctively 
knows,  before  he  addresses  the  ball,  whether 
with  his  style  of  play  a  full,  a  three-quar- 
ter, a  half,  a  quarter  stroke  or  a  wrist  shot 
should  be  used.  With  the  backward 
swing  he  only  has  to  have  in  mind  that  the 
club  swings  back  the  right  distance  and 
with  the  forward  swing  that  there  is  a 
proper  follow  through.  Only  with  the 
quarter  iron  and  wrist  shots  need  he  give 
any  thought  of  the  force  to  be  put  into  the 
stroke.  As  he  takes  his  position,  there  is  a 
certain  free  play  with  his  club  as  he  meas- 
ures with  his  eye  the  distance  to  the  hole 
and  assures  himself  that  he  is  right,  and  then 
as  he  rests  his  club  head  for  a  moment  be- 
hind the  ball  there  comes  that  character- 
istic knuckling  of  the  knees  if  the  shot  is  to 
be  a  half  iron  or  quarter  iron  stroke. 


Driving  and  Approaching  Swings. 

104 

DIA  GRA  M  SHO  WING 

the  relation  of  the  different  swings  to  each  other 
and  the  position  of  the  ball  in  reference  to  these 
swings. 

abc 


a  a  —  sweep  of  driver. 
b  b  —  sweep  of  brassy. 
c  c  —  sweep  of  cleek. 
d  d  —  sweep  of  iron,  stiff  arm  stroke. 
e  e  —  sweep  of  iron,  bent  arm  stroke. 
f  f —  sweep  of  iron,  jerk  stroke. 

(1)  Position  of  ball  for  driver. 

(2)  Position  of  ball  lor  orassy. 

(3)  Position  of  ball  for  cleek. 

(4)  Position  of  ball  for  stiff  arm  stroke. 

(5)  Position  of  ball  for  bent  arm   and    running 
approach  strokes. 

(6)  Position  of  ball  for  jerk  stroke. 

TWO  GOLDEN  RULES  WHICH  APPLY  TO  ALL 
APPROACH  SHOTS. 

First :  Remember  that  in  making  any 
approach  shot,  a  bad  stance  is  worse  than  a 
bad  lie.  Above  all  things,  then,  see  that  the 
stance  is  right.  If  the  ball  does  not  go 
along  the  desired  line  of  flight  do  not  try  to 


High  Grass. 
105 

make    it  by  hitting  it  differently,    but    by 
changing  the  stance. 

Second  :  Never  make  more  than  a  half 
swing  with  an  iron  if  it  can  be  avoided. 
The  old  adage  is  that  "  The  moment  you 
take  a  full  swing  with  an  iron  you  begin 
to  go  wrong."  Therefore  remember  that 
when  there  is  no  bunker  to  go  over  and  the 
ball  is  not  in  a  cup,  a  half  swing  wath  a 
driver,  a  brassy  or  a  cleek,  should  be  used 
instead  of  a  full  swing  with  an  iron. 

HIGH  GRASS. 

In  playing  a  ball  out  of  high  grass,  a 
good  pair  of  shoulders,  a  strong  pair  of 
arms,  and  a  good  thug  at  the  ball  are  the 
things  needed.  That  the  club  may  cut 
through  as  little  grass  as  possible  and  to 
prevent  the  wires  of  grass  winding  them- 
selves around  the  shaft,  stand  well  in  front 
of  the  ball  and  use  the  up  and  dowrn  jerk 
stroke  with  a  half  swing. 

Suggestions. 

With  the  backward  swing,  bring  the 
club  up  slowly  so  that  the  grass  will  be 
less  liable  to  wind  itself  around  the  shaft. 

Because  the  grass  in  winding  around 
the  shaft  keeps  the  club  head  from  coming 
down  on  the  ball  with  as  much  force  as 
usual,  play  to  send  the  ball  beyond  the 
hole. 


Bunkers. 

1 06 

PL  A  YING   OVER  BUNKERS. 

When  a  bunker  is  so  high  that  dis- 
tance is  not  to  be  considered,  use  a  half 
swing  because  more  accurate  than  a  full 
swing.  Stand,  therefore,  half  facing  the 
hole  with  the  ball  on  a  line  with  the  left 
foot,  making  the  backward  and  forward 
swing  perpendicularly  the  same  as  when 
playing  a  jerk  shot. 

With  the  downward  swing,  hit  into  the 
ground  back  of  the  ball,  keeping  the  eye 
on  the  spot  where  the  club  head  is  to  strike. 

Suggestions. 

As  it  is  not  necessary  to  put  extra 
strength  into  the  stroke,  swing  easily,  accu- 
racy being  more  important  than  strength. 

By  spreading  the  feet  more  than  usual 
it  will  stiffen  the  stance  and  will  tend  to 
make  the  stroke  more  accurate. 

When  a  bunker  guards  the  green,  do 
not  be  ambitious  to  pitch  the  ball  near  the 
hole  but  be  satisfied  with  getting  it  over 
the  bunker. 

Remember  that  if  the  ball  is  lying  on 
hard  ground,  a  very  moderate  bunker  is 
insurmountable  and  the  ball  must  be  played 
back. 

SAND. 

In  playing  out  of  sand  the  looser  the 
sand  the  further  back  of  the  ball  one  should 
swing  the  club  into  it  so  that  the  momentum 


Sand. 
107 

put  into  the  stroke  will  not  expend  itself  be- 
yond the  ball.  As  the  essence  of  the 
stroke  is  the  concussion  of  the  club  head 
with  the  sand  and  not  its  impact  with  the 
ball,  and  as  the  momentum  travels  further 
in  loose  sand  than  in  sand  firmly  packed, 
swing  so  that  the  impetus  of  the  swing  goes 
from  the  club  head  into  the  sand  and  from 
the  sand  to  the  ball  on  its  underside. 

Use  the  jerk  stroke  with  a  half  swing, 
standing  well  in  front  of  the  ball,  and  when 
distance  is  to  be  considered  use  a  full 
swing  with  a  brassy,  cleek,  or  driving 
mashie,  hitting  w^ell  under  the  ball. 

In  playing  out  of  loose  sand,  shorten 
the  grip  on  the  iron  in  order  to  take  the 
sand  sweet  and  clean. 

In  playing  out  of  sand  over  a  bunker, 
use  a  lofter,  mashie,  or  niblick,  but  before 
making  the  stroke  see  whether  the  sand  is 
loose  or  firmly  packed. 

Suggestions. 

Remember  that  the  nearer  the  ball  lies 
to  a  bunker,  the  further  back  of  the  ball 
the  club  head  must  dig  into  the  sand  so  that 
the  upward  momentum  gets  well  under  the 
ball. 

Remember  that  sand  is  treacherous  and 
that  the  stroke  must  be  played  with  the 
greatest  accuracy,  a  tablespoonful  of  sand 
being  often  too  much  for  the  strongest  arms. 


Water. 

1 08 

Remember  that  the  most  treacherous 
lie  is  a  ball  clean  and  sweet  in  loose  sand 
because  in  trying  for  distance  one  does  not 
hit  the  sand  back  of  the  ball. 

Remember  that  if  the  sand  is  stiff,  one 
should  bring  the  club  head  down  close  be- 
hind the  ball,  as  in  such  sand  the  momen- 
tum does  not  travel  far  and  if  one  aims  too 
far  away  it  will  not  reach  the  ball. 

Do  not  have  the  face  of  the  club  laid 
back  more  than  usual  as  the  essence  of  the 
stroke  is  in  having  as  much  concussion  with 
the  sand  as  possible. 

BALLS  IN   WATER. 

In  playing  out  of  a  water  hazard, 
stand  the  same  and  hit  the  water  the  same 
distance  behind  the  ball  as  when  playing 
out  of  loose  sand,  and  remember  not  to 
shut  the  eyes  in  anticipation  of  the  splash 
to  come. 


CHAPTER   VI. 


PUTTING. 


Although    approaching   shots   are   per- 
haps the  most  difficult  ones  to  make,  yet  in 
nine  out  of  ten  games  putting  is  what  wins 
or  loses  the  hole.     For  this 
reason,  Tom  Sayers,  a  cel- 
ebrated   professional,    used 
to  say,  "The  man  who  can 
putt  can  play  anybody." 
Not  if  i  can  help  it;  As    putting    requires    a 

delicate  touch,  the  shaft  of 
the  putter  should  be  stiff  and  without 
spring,  the  essential  thing  being  perfect 
balance.  The  shaft  should  also  be  short  so 
that  one  can  stand  well  over  the  ball  in 
order  to  get  easily  the  line  of  the  hole.  The 
head  should  be  light,  so  that  the  club  can 
be  swung  well  back,  to  make  suie  that  it  is 
swinging  along  the  line  of  flight,  the  beset- 
ting sin  being  too  heavy  a  head. 

In  putting,  one  must  not  forget  that 
there  is  a  sharp  distinction  between  ap- 
proach putting  and  holing  out,  and  that 
they  mean  different  kinds  of  work.  In 
approach  putting  the  essential  thing  is 
the  amount  of  impetus  necessary  to  send 
the  ball  close  to  the  hole,  but  in  hole 

(109) 


Putting. 

no 

putting  one  must  consider  not  only  the 
proper  amount  of  impetus,  but  the  line  be- 
tween the  ball  and  the  hole  and  the  lay  of 
the  ground.  In  both  approach  putting  and 
holing  out,  although  the  ball  has  to  travel 
much  further  in  one  case  than  in  the  other, 
the  length  of  swing  is  practically  the  same 
in  both  cases.  In  both  cases,  theicifore, 
the  momentum  put  into  the  ball  is  deter- 
mined by  the  amount  of  strength  used  and 
one  has  to  gauge  his  muscles  accordingly. 
The  stroke,  then,  is  wnolly  dependent  on 
mental  calculations  without  being  regu- 
lated in  any  way  by  mechanical  rules. 
Putting,  therefore,  differs  from  all  other 
strokes  of  golf  and  good  putting  means  not 
only  that  correct  instructions  be  given  by 
the  eye  to  the  mind  so  that  the  mechanical 
movements  of  the  muscles  will  be  correct, 
but  that  the  right  amount  of  force  is  used 
without  any  deviation  of  the  club  head  from 
the  line  of  putt.  The  corollary,  then,  is 
that  if  one  is  oft'  in  his  putting  it  is  because 
the  mind  has  not  given  the  right  instruc- 
tions to  the  muscles,  or,  in  other  words, 
after  one  has  learned  to  putt,  all  faults  are 
mental  if  the  eye  is  true. 

As  more  elasticity  gees  into  the  ball 
from  a  wooden  putter  than  an  iron  one,  the 
wooden  putter  is  the  one  to  use  for  long 
putts  ;  and,  because  it  does  not  run  the  ball 
so  close  to  the  ground,  it  is  also  the  one  to 


In  General. 
in 

use  for  short  putts  when  the  green  is  rough 
or  sandy.  The  iron  putter,  on  the  other 
hand,  because  it  keeps  the  ball  close  to  the 
ground,  is  the  one  to  use  when  the  green 
is  smooth  and  also  when  the  ball  is  near 
the  hole  as  the  ball  is  less  apt  to  jump  the 
hole  if  too  much  force  is  used.  One  pecu- 
liarity of  putting  is  that  nearly  every  golfer 
has  his  own  fixed  idea  of  the  right  way 
to  do  it  and  in  no  other  part  of  the  game 
is  there  such  a  bewildering  variety  of 
stance,  grip  and  swing  as  in  this  appar- 
ently simple  operation  of  sending  the  ball 
into  the  hole ;  some  standing  with  the 
weight  of  the  body  on  the  right  leg  and 
the  ball  opposite  that  foot ;  some  with  the 
wreight  of  the  body  equally  on  both  legs 
and  the  ball  opposite  the  centre  of  the  body  ; 
and  some  with  the  weight  of  the  body  on 
the  left  leg  and  the  ball  opposite  that  foot ; 
some  putting  with  the  wrist  alone  or  arms 
alone,  or  by  a  subtle  combination  of  the 
two ;  some  holding  the  hands  close  to- 
gether, some  with  them  far  apart ;  some 
holding  the  shaft  at  the  top  of  the  leather 
and  some  at  the  bottom  ;  each  one  putting 
more  successfully  in  his  own  way  than  in 
•any  other  and  in  many  cases  admitted  to 
be  an  expert.  But  whichever  way  one 
putts  there  are  certain  rules  which  should 
be  followed. 

(i)      In  getting  the  line,  either  glance 


Putting. 

112 

from  the  hole  to  the  ball  and  then  along 
the  same  straight  line  back  of  the  ball  so 
as  to  get  the  line  over  which  the  club  head 
is  to  swing,  keeping  the  eye  on  that  line 
during  the  swing  or  else  while  standing 
behind  the  ball  picking  out  a  blade  of  grass 
between  the  ball  and  the  hole,  and,  dis- 
missing from  the  mind  the  hole  as  an  ob- 
ject of  direction,  address  the  ball  with  the 
thought  only  of  sending  it  over  the  blade  of 
grass  with  impetus  enough  to  send  it  into 
the  hole,  keeping  the  eye  on  the  blade  of 
grass  for  direction  while  making  the  swing. 

(2)  In    addressing    the  ball,  first   see 
that  the  sole  of  the  putter  rests  squarely  on 
the  ground  with  the  centre  of  the  face  oppo- 
site the  ball.     Then  carry  the   club   head 
along  the  ground  the  distance   you  intend 
to  swing  it,  in  order  to  satisfy  yourself  that 
with   the  putt  it  will   go  along  the   line   to 
the  hole,   resting  it  just  before  making  the 
putt  so  close  behind  the  ball  that  it  almost 
touches  it,  to  see  that  the  face  is  still  at  a 
right  angle  to  the  line  of  travel. 

(3)  When  making  the  putt,  swing  the 
club  head   an  eighth  of  an  inch  from  the 
ground  so  that  the  centre  of  the  face  will 
come  in  contact  with  the  centre  of  the  ball. 

(4)  Let  the  hands  feel  all  that  the  club 
is  doing,  as  one  fault  in  putting  is  forgetting 
the  grip  while  the  mind  is  concentrated  on 
the  direction  and  holding  the  club  too  slack 


Off  Right  Leg. 


during  the  swing.  Do  not,  however, 
allow  either  hand  to  dominate  the  other  or 
hold  the  club  as  if  in  a  vise  or  so  tight  that 
it  stops  the  circulation  and  stiffens  the 
muscles.  The  best  rule  to  follow  is  to  relax 
the  grip  while  the  club  head  rests  behind 
the  ball  and  then  to  tighten  up  with  the 
swing. 


Suggestions. 

A  good  rule  is  to  putt  with  the  right 
thumb  down  the  shaft,  as  it  better  keeps  the 
face  of  the  club  at  a  right  angle  with  the 
line  of  the  hole.  If,  because  of  the  slope  of 
the  putting  green,  it  is  desirable  to  putt  to 
the  right  of  the  hole,  hold  the  thumb  more 
to  the  right  on  the  shaft  and  if  to  the  left 
of  the  hole  more  to  the  left  on  the  shaft. 


Putting  off  the  ^ight  Leg. 

(i)  Stand  well  over  the  ball  but  not 
so  close  that  the  sole  of  the  putter  is  not 
squarely  on  the  ground,  standing  with 
the  body,  head  and  ball  in  the  same  verti- 
cal plane,  the  feet  far  enough  apart  to 
give  a  firm  stance,  the  knees  a  little  bent, 
the  left  foot  well  in  front  of  the  ball  and 
pointing  towards  the  hole,  the  right  foot 


Putting  . 


114 


close  to  the  ball  and  pointing  towards  it. 

.  _  O 


/8 


(2)  Grasp  the  club  well  down  the 
leather,  the  same  as  when  playing  a  stiff 
arm  approach  shot  except  that  the  right 
thumb  is  held  down  the  shaft  and  the  club 
held  tight  enough  not  to  allow  the  shaft  to 
turn  with  the  concussion,  holding  the  shaft, if 
anything,  more  with  the  left  hand  than  with 
the  right,  some  players  overlapping  or  in- 
terlocking the  left  hand  with  the  right  in 
order  to  have  one  fulcrum  for  the  swing. 


(3)      Hold  the  shaft  with  the  hands  op- 
posite the  centre  of  the  body  so  that  both 


Off  Left  Leg. 


arms  will  work  alike  and  together.  With 
the  backward  swing  carry  the  club  head 
along  the  ground  without  any  movement  of 
the  body.  As  the  stroke  is  made  wholly 
with  the  arms,  the  wrists  should  be  stiff  and 
taut,  the  left  elbow  squared  to  the  hole  so 
that  the  left  arm  may  swing  freely  in  front 
of  the  body  and  the  right  elbow  bent  enough 
to  give  freedom  of  motion  to  the  right  arm. 

(4)  With  the  backward  swing,  let  the 
movement  be  deliberate,   lengthening  out 
the  arms  enough  to  keep  the  club  head  close 
to  the   ground.     At  the  end  of  the  back- 
ward swing  pause  a  moment  to  prevent  any 
jerk  in  the   forward    swing.      By  pushing 
well  back  with  the  backward  swing  there 
will  be  less  strength  necessary  with  the  for- 
ward swing    and    the    tendency  to  jerky, 
catchy    hitting   will    be   partly    prevented, 
which  in  long  putts  is  especially  important. 

(5)  With  the  forward  swing,  the  club 
should    be     pulled    forward     rather    than 
swung,  both  knees  knuckling  towards  the 
hole  to  help  the  forward  movement  but  in 
no  other  way  should  there  be  any  move- 
ment of  the  body. 

(6)  With  the  concussion  the  club  head 
should  rise  slightly  so  that  a  forward  spin 
will  be  given  the  ball  which  has  the  great 
merit  of  making  the  ball  run  true. 

Putting  off  the  Left  Leg. 

(i)      Grasp  the  shaft  the  same  as  when 
playing    off    the    right   leg,    the    left    foot 


Putting. 

116 

pointing  to  the  left  of  the  ball,  with  the  heel 
opposite  the  ball,  the  right  foot  well  back 
and  turned  out,  the  knees  a  little  bent  and 
the  feet  far  enough  apart  to  give  a  firm 
stance. 


O 


18 


(2)  As  the  swing  is  made  without  any 
movement  of  the  body,  the  right  shoulder 
should  be  well  down,  the  left  elbow  point- 
ing towards  the  hole  and  the  right  elbow 
bent  enough  to  allow  the  arm  to  swing 
freely  in  front  of  the  body. 

In  other  respects  the  stroke  is  the  same 
as  when  playing  off  the  right  leg. 


Putting  -with  the  Ball  Opposite  the  Centre  of 
the  Body  or  the  Pendulum  Stroke. 

(i)  Stand  squarely  facing  the  ball, 
the  feet  spread  fairly  well  apart,  the  ball 
opposite  the  centre  of  the  body  and  the 


Pendulum  Stroke. 


117 


knees  only  a  little  bent  as  the  stance  should 
be  as  firm  as  possible. 


O 


2. 4 


(2)  Grasp  the  club  well  down  the  shaft 
with  a  light  but  firm  grip  holding  the 
shaft  either  the  same  as  when  playing  off 
the  right  leg  or  with  the  shaft  held  in  the 
fingers  of  the  right  hand,  the  left  hand  guid- 
ing it. 


(3)      Have  both  elbows  pointing  well 


Putting. 

118 

out  so  that  no  movement  of  the  body  will 
affect  the  swing. 

(4)  As  the  essence  of  the  stroke  is  a 
pendulum  movement,  the  body  should  not 
move  with  either  the  backward  or  forward 
swing,  the  shoulders   acting  as  a  fulcrum 
for  the  long  putts  and  the  wrists  for  the  short 
ones. 

(5)  With  the  follow  through  the  club 
head  should  go  forward  only  as  far  as  the 
pendulum  movement  of  the  swing  naturally 
carries  it. 

Suggestions. 

In  taking  the  stance,  first  rest  the  putter 
back  of  the  ball  in  its  proper  position  and 
then  square  the  body  to  the  line  of  flight. 

One  objection  to  the  pendulum  stroke 
is  that  the  slightest  preponderance  of 
strength  in  either  hand  deflects  the  putter 
from  the  straight  line.  For  the  same 
reason,  if  either  arm  is  brought  more  into 
the  stroke  than  the  other  there  will  be  a  sim- 
ilar turning  of  the  club. 

Putting  with  a  Cleek  or  Putting  Cleek. 

As  the  putter  is  a  short  club  which 
requires  a  different  adjustment  of  the  body 
for  the  swing  than  when  playing  with  any 
other  club,  the  more  one's  putter  resembles 
an  iron  the  more  naturally  will  one  putt. 


Suggestions. 
119 

Putting,  therefore,  with  a  cleek  or  putting 
cleek,  will  often  give  a  better  command  over 
the  ball.  With  a  putter,  the  club  must 
always  meet  the  ball  with  a  full  right  angle 
face  ;  but  with  a  cleek  or  putting  cleek,  by 
holding  the  club  with  the  hands  well  ahead 
of  the  ball,  one  not  only  has  an  infinite  va- 
riety of  slopes  with  which  to  hit  the  ball  but, 
as  the  loft  of  the  cleek  puts  a  drag  upon 
the  ball,  it  can  be  hit  harder  than  it  could 
be  with  a  putter.  Consequently  the  ball 
will  be  kept  straighter.  The  cleek  or  put- 
ting cleek  is  also  a  good  club  to  use  when 
the  first  part  of  the  green  is  rough  and  un- 
even, as  there  will  be  enough  loft  on  the 
club  to  pitch  the  ball  over  the  uneven 
ground.  It  is  also  a  better  club  to  use  on 
a  rolling,  undulating  green  where  one  has 
to  slice  the  ball.  In  playing  with  a  cleek 
or  putting  cleek,  the  essential  thing  is  a 
well  balanced  club  with  a  light  head  so  that 
one  can  sweep  the  club  far  enough  back  to 
get  a  long  swing,  the  stance  being  the  same 
and  the  stroke  made  in  the  same  way  as 
when  playing  off  the  right  leg  with  a  putter. 


Suggestions  in  General. 

Make  up  your  mind  to  hit  the  ball  clean 
and  to  hit  it  with  confidence  ;  one  part  of 
confidence  being  worth  two  parts  of  care. 


Putting. 

120 

Remember  that  the  hole  is  large  if  played 
for  boldly. 

Do  not  jerk  the  stroke,  a  fault  usually 
resulting  from   a  fear   of  sending  the  ball 
too   far,   and  remember  that  the   secret  of 
good  putting,  as  in  good  driving,  is  the  fol- 
low through. 

Do  not  be  in  a  hurry  to  see  if  the  ball 
is  going  into  the  hole.  By  lifting  the  eye 
too  soon  one  is  apt  to  change  the  direction 
of  the  swing. 

If  the  decision  of  the  match  hangs  on  the 
last  putt,  do  not  have  a  gloomy  face  sfyow- 
ing  Christian  resignation,  but  fill  your 
mind  with  vacancy,  not  even  allowing  your- 
self the  consolation  of  religion. 

As  every  golfer  knows,  the  line  of  putt 
often  looks  different  when  looked  at  from 
the  hole  than  when  studied  from  the  ball. 
In  such  a  case,  putt  on  the  line  which 
seemed  correct  when  viewed  from  hole  to 
ball. 

Remember  that  the  catching  power  of 
the  cup  is  generally  underestimated  and 
that  nine  golfers  out  of  ten  often  miss  a  putt 
because  they  only  think  of  making  the  ball 
go  as  far  as  the  hole.  Aim,  therefore,  for 
the  back  of  the  cup  and  make  up  your 
mind  to  have  the  ball  hit  it  with  a  bang. 

Remember  that,  in  approach  putts,  the 
amount  of  friction  which  the  ball  is  to  en- 
counter is  the  important  thing  and  that  one 


Suggestions. 

121 

should  give  as  much  attention  to  this  as  to 
the  line  of  travel. 

In  deciding  upon  the  impetus  to  be  put 
into  the  ball,  see  whether  the  turf  is  closely 
knit  or  coarse  and  stubby ;  whether  the 
ground  is  hard  and  baked  or  soft  and 
moist ;  whether  the  grass  is  closely  trimmed 
or  has  been  so  cut  that  the  stubble  points 
towards  the  hole  or  towards  the  ball. 

On  heavy  sodded,  rough,  or  sandy 
greens  use  a  wooden  putter,  so  that  the 
delicate  touch  so  necessary  with  short  putts 
will  not  be  affected. 

With  short  putts,  as  the  backward 
swing  is  very  short,  remember  that  one 
fault  is  not  having  it  in  mind  to  swing  the 
club  back  on  the  line  with  the  hole. 

With  short  putts,  because  there  is  al- 
ways the  temptation  to  glance  at  the  hole 
just  as  the  ball  is  hit,  the  stroke  is  apt  to  be 
jerky  or  the  club  to  turn  in  the  hand.  Do 
not,  therefore,  look  up  until  the  ball  has 
had  time  to  rattle  against  the  tin. 

As  bad  putting  is  apt  to  be  the  result  of 
a  bad  stance,  if  one  continually  sends  the 
ball  to  the  left  of  the  hole,  it  is  probably 
because  the  right  foot  is  too  near  the  line  of 
travel  and  the  left  foot  not  near  enough  ; 
and  if  to  the  right  of  the  hole,  because  the 
left  foot  is  too  near  the  line  of  travel  and 
the  right  foot  not  near  enough. 

As  bad  putting  is  also  often  the  result 


Putting. 

122 

of  a  bad  grip,  if  one  continually  sends  the 
ball  to  the  left  of  the  hole,  it  may  be  the 
result  of  too  tight  a  grip  with  the  right 
hand  and  if  to  the  right  of  the  hole,  of  too 
tight  a  grip  with  the  left  hand. 

If  you  are  off  in  your  putting,  use  an- 
other putter,  as  often  the  mind  becomes  so 
occupied  in  swinging  a  new  club  properly 
that  by  instinct  the  reflex  action  of  the 
muscles  sends  the  ball  straight  and  with 
the  proper  impetus. 

When  there  is  rough  ground  close  in 
front  of  the  ball  and  then  smooth  ground  to 
the  hole,  a  very  effective  putt  can  be  made 
by  topping  the  ball  so  that  it  jumps  over  the 
rough  ground,  the  backward  spin  which  it 
receives  by  ricochetting  keeping  it  close  to 
the  ground  afterwards.  In  making  this 
stroke,  raise  the  club  from  the  elbows  with 
stiff  wrists  and  swing  it  forward  slowly. 


Playing  Over  a  Stimie. 
123 

STIMIES. 

In  playing  a  stimie,  one  either  has  to 
play  over  the  other  ball  or  around  it.  If 
the  balls  are  from  seven  inches  to  a  foot 

apart  and  the 
further  ball  two 
feet  or  more 
from  the  hole, 
the  hole  can  be 
made  either 

Ah,  there!  Way.       If,    how- 

ever,    the    two 

balls  are  so  close  together  that  it  is  impos- 
sible to  loft  one  over  the  other,  one  either 
has  to  slice  his  own  ball  around  the  other 
or  to  hit  his  ball  with  force  enough  to  send 
the  other  over  the  hole  and  his  own  into  it. 
If,  however,  one's  opponent's  ball  is  close 
to  the  cup  and  one's  own  ball  two  club 
lengths  or  more  away,  the  only  possible 
stroke  is  to  slice  the  ball  enough  to  the  left 
to  curve  it  into  the  hole.  This  shot,  how- 
ever, is  probably  the  most  difficult  one  to 
make  of  any  in  golf. 


In  Playing  Over  a  Stimie. 

(i)  Use  either  a  lofter,  a  mashie,  or  a 
niblick  and  the  more  the  face  is  laid  back 
the  more  certainty  will  there  be  of  getting 
a  quick  loft  on  the  ball.  Although  the 


Putting. 

124 

niblick  will  make  the  ball  rise  quickly,  the 
tendency,  in  playing  with  this  club,  is  to 
pull  the  ball  and  send  it  to  the  left;  while, 
with  the  loiter  or  mashie,  the  tendency  is  to 
slice  the  ball  too  much  and  to  send  it  to  the 
right. 

(2)  Stand  the  same  as  when  putting 
off  the  right  leg  but  with  the  right  elbow 
close  to  the  body  to  give  steadiness  to  the 
swing. 

(3)  Hold  the  club  in  the  fingers  of  the 
right  hand  with  as  loose  a  grip  as  possible 
consistent  with  hitting  the  ball   accurately, 
the    right  thumb    being  along   the    top    of 
the  shaft,  the  left  hand  simply  guiding  the 
club. 

(4)  With  the  backward  swing,  carry 
the    club    head    away   from  the    body  the 
same  as  when  playing  a  cutting  approach 
stroke  in  order  to  get  as  much  spin  as  pos- 
sible on    the  ball,  the  swing  being    made 
wholly  with  the  arms  with  no  play  of  the 
wrists. 

(5)  With  the  forward  swing,  hit  well 
under  the  ball  and  with  the  concussion  give 
a  sharp  upward  turn  to  the  wrists. 

Suggestions. 

As  distance  is  not  to  be  considered  the 
stroke  should  be  made  slowly  and  deliber- 
ately, a  correct  swing  and  not  strength 
being  the  essential  thing. 


Playing  Around  a  Stimie. 


Although  the  distance  which  the  ball 
will  travel  depends  largely  upon  the  length 
of  the  backward  swing,  the  stroke  is 
generally  made  with  a  short  backward 
swing  in  order  to  get  well  under  the  ball, 
the  necessary  impetus  being  regulated  by 
the  amount  of  strength  used. 

In  Playing  Around  a  Stimie. 

(1)  Use  a  cleek,  putting  cleek  or  mid- 
iron. 

(2)  Take  the  same  stance  and   make 
the  same  swing  as  when  playing  a  cutting 
approach   stroke,   hitting  the  ball   a  hair's 
breadth  to  the  right  of  the  centre. 


CHAPTER   VII. 


THE    MENTAL    PART    OF    GOLF. 

Not  only   in    golf,  but   in    every   game 
which   is    based    on   physical    movements, 
there  is  always  an   element   of  chance  or 
luck  which  is  more  or  less 
demoralizing ;   but,   in  golf, 
losing  a  hole  instead  of  win- 
ning it  can  almost  always  be 
attributed  to 

,         \  TVT 

(i)      Not  giving  proper 
attention  to  the  stance,  the 
^^"-—  grip  or  the  swing  ;   to  wit, 

off  his  game.  carelessness. 

(2)  The  eye  not  giving 
proper  instruction  to  the  mind,  especially 
on  the  putting  green  where  one  is  not  apt 
to  examine  the  condition  of  the  ground 
critically  enough  for  the  mind  to  estimate 
properly  the  amount  of  friction  to  be  over- 
come ;  to  wit,  thoughtlessness. 

(3)  The   mind   not  giving  proper  in- 
structions to  the  muscles,  as  when  one  tops 
his  ball,  or  pulls  or  slices  it ;  to  wit,  laziness. 

(4)  In  allowing  the  nerves  to  be  so 
affected  by  the  varying   conditions   of  the 
game  that  they  in  turn  affect  the  muscles 
and  the  stroke  ;  to  wit,  nervousness. 

(126) 


Carelessness. 

127 


Carelessness. 


Almost  all  golfers  at  the  beginning  of  a 
match  have  latent  in  their  minds  the  thought 
that,  with  eighteen  holes  to  play,  the  first 
few  holes  are  of  little  account,  and  the  fact 
that  many  a  golfer  is  honestly  indifferent  to 
winning  the  first  hole  is  not  without  its  sig- 
nificance ;  for,  to  such  a  player,  it  means 
that  the  quickest  way  for  him  to  concentrate 
his  mind  on  the  game  is  to  see  his  oppo- 
nent playing  away  from  him.  Not  until  he 
has  lost  a  hole  does  he  realize  that  he  is 
engaged  in  serious  business  and  begin  to 
apply  himself  in  earnest.  If,  therefore, 
his  opponent  has  started  out  in  the  same 
thoughtless  frame  of  mind,  it  follows  that 
not  until  they  begin  to  play  the  third  hole 
will  both  players  settle  down  to  the  game. 
To  play  the  game,  then,  for  all  that  is  in  it, 
one  should  start  at  the  first  tee  with  a  de- 
termination to  be  perfect  in  every  detail 
and  to  handicap  his  opponent  with  the  first 
drive. 

Suggestions. 

Remember  that  attention  to  business 
does  not  mean  painful  study  but  honest 
work  from  the  first  swing  on  the  teeing 
ground  to  the  last  stroke  on  the  putting 
green. 

Remember  that  the  silent,  quiet  fellow 


Mental  Golf. 

128 

who  gives  his  whole  attention  to  the  work 
before  him  is.  the  one  to  look  out  for  and 
that  the  genial,  free  and  easy  golfer  finds 
it  hard  to  make  business  of  a  pastime. 

Remember  that  more  games  are  lost 
from  carelessness  at  the  beginning  ol  the 
match  than  in  any  other  way. 

Remember  that  by  being  ahead  there 
is  always  a  temptation  to  play  carelessly 
and  a  fight  to  keep  steady. 

Remember  that  in  nine  games  out  of  ten 
there  is 

(1)  A  few  holes  of  loose  play. 

(2)  A  ding  dong  battle. 

(3)  A  crisis  on  one  side. 

(4)  A  walk-over  on  the  other. 


Nervousness. 

Most  golfers  do  not  appreciate  to  what 
an  extent  the  mind  is  affected  by  the  little 
incidents  which  come  up  in  the  course  of 
every  game,  or  how  much  the  mind  affects 
the  nerves  and  the  nerves  the  stroke.  Few 
suspect  how  great  the  subtle  influence  of 
surrounding  conditions  is  and  that  this  out- 
side influence  on  the  nerves  has  its  effect 
upon  every  stroke  made.  The  mental  con- 
dition is  in  fact  of  far  greater  importance 
than  physical  fitness  and  to  play  golf  suc- 
cessiully  one  cannot  be  worried.  Temper- 
ament, consequently,  is  an  important  factor. 


Nervousness. 
129 

The  thousand  little  trifles  which  hopelessly 
distract  the  nervous  man  with  delicately 
adjusted  machinery  altogether  escape  the 
notice  of  the  "dour"  phlegmatic  player,  and 
we  all  know  how  depressing  it  is,  upon 
many  of  us,  to  play  against  one  who 
always  out-drives  us,  and  with  what 
confidence  we  play  knowing  that  our  op- 
ponent is  sure  to  "crack"  under  the  slightest 
provocation.  Doggedness  is  also  a  factor 
too  much  underrated  and  we  all  appreciate 
the  effect  upon  us  when  playing  against 
one  who  never  knows  when  he  is  beaten. 
In  watching  any  match  critically,  one  can- 
not fail  to  notice  how  little  incidents,  which 
have  no  real  connection  with  the  game, 
affect  certain  strokes.  How,  if  one  player 
drives  a  long,  slashing  bal],  the  other  is 
apt  to  press  To  prove  how  important  this 
influence  of  outside  circumstances  is,  say 
quietly  to  a  self-opinionated  opponent  of  a 
nervous  temperament  just  before  he  drives, 
that  he  always  drives  a  long  ball  and  the 
drive  will  probably  be  a  failure.  On  the 
other  hand,  say  to  the  modest  man  of  nerv- 
ous temperament  just  as  he  is  making  a 
long  putt  that  he  always  putts  well,  and 
you  will  probably  give  him  the  necessary 
confidence  to  steady  his  nerves  and  make 
the  hole.  It  is  this  control  over  the  nerves 
more  than  any  other  one  thing  which  is  the 
secret  of  the  success  of  professionals  andone 
can  easily  appreciate  how  great  an  advan- 


Mefital  Golf. 

130 

tage  they  have  over  the  more  imaginative, 
more  sensitive,  more  cultured  amateurs. 
To  realize  in  your  own  play  how  great  a 
factor  this  nerve  influence  is,  recall  how 
many  times  on  your  own  links  you  have 
made  each  hole  less  than  bogie  ;  yet,  be- 
cause of  your  inability  to  keep  your  nerves 
under  control  over  the  whole  course,  you 
have  never  been  able  to  lower  the  record. 
The  golfer,  therefore,  whose  nerve  mastery 
is  perfect,  although  playing  but  an  average 
game,  would  beat  the  world. 

The  one,  then,  who  really  plays  the 
game  must  always  have  in  mind,  first,  that 
the  nerve  fibres  are  a  very  exhaustible 
quantity  and  must  be  husbanded  for  those 
unexpected  outside  influences  which  are 
sure  to  arise  at  a  critical  turning  point  in 
the  game  ;  and  second,  that  if  he  keeps  his 
nerves  steady  enough  to  withstand  this  test 
he  will,  in  nine  games  out  often,  come  in  a 
winner.  Every  golfer  can  recall  many  a 
game  in  which  he  went  to  pieces  at  this 
critical  time.  It  may  have  been  the  most 
trivial  incident  which  threw  him  off;  per- 
haps some  eccentricity  of  his  opponent  in 
putting  which  was  exasperating,  or  because 
he  lagged  too  far  behind  or  rushed  too  far 
ahead,  or  perhaps  because  he  was  an  invet- 
erate chatterer.  But,  whatever  the  reason, 
it  was  enough  to  affect  the  nerves  and  it 
then  became  a  question  not  only  of  the 


Suggestions. 


eye  and  muscles  but  a  test  of  the  will 
power  over  the  nerves.  Up  to  that  time  it 
had  been  a  give  and  take  match,  in  which 
a  longer  drive,  a  better  lie,  or  a  better  ap- 
proach shot  had  given  first  one  and  then 
the  other,  a  quickly  passing  advantage. 
But  now,  because  the  mind  did  not  have 
command  over  the  nerves,  the  nerves  af- 
fected the  muscles  and  several  bad  strokes 
were  made.  To  the  other  player,  who 
knew  that  his  opponent  had  "cracked,"  the 
intensity  of  his  own  mental  strain  wasover, 
as  it  is  not  within  the  range  of  golfing 
probabilities  for  one  to  pull  himself  to- 
gether again  who  has  failed  at  the  crisis. 
Not  to  crack,  then,  is  the  one  thing  to 
guard  against,  for  it  seldom  happens  that 
two  players  fight  a  match  through  with 
equal  nerve  mastery,  and  sooner  or  later 
one  or  the  other  loses  control  of  his  nerves 
and  in  consequence  the  match.  It  is  this 
battle  or  mird  and  muscle,  of  thought  and 
action,  which  makes  the  game  of  golf  worth 
playing.  Each  failure  is  a  lesson  in  self- 
control  ;  and  each  good  shot,  a  realization 
of  what  perfect  play  can  do. 

Suggestions. 

Confidence  keeps  the  nerves  steady 
and  makes  success  easy. 

If  you  lose  your  temper  you  will  lose 
the  match. 


Mental  Golf. 

132 

Changing  a  club  often  affects  the 
nerves  and  many  a  golfer,  after  missing  a 
stroke  of  which  he  was  reasonably  certain, 
uses  a  different  club  when  a  similar  stroke 
has  to  be  made  again. 

Play  your  hardest  from  the  first  swing. 
By  winning  the  first  few  holes  the  expendi- 
ture of  nervous  force  and  the  nervous  ten- 
sion, which  often  lasts  to  the  last  putt,  may 
be  saved. 

Decide, before  addressingthe  ball,  which 
club  you  think  will  give  the  best  results 
and  what  kind  of  a  stroke  you  intend  to 
make.  If  you  hover  over  the  ball  in  a 
state  of  uncertainty,  the  chances  are  that 
the  condition  of  the  mind  will  affect  the 
swing. 

Keep  from  your  mind  all  temptation  to 
decide  beforehand  what  the  result  of  the 
match  will  be.  By  thinking  of  the  possi- 
bilities of  defeat  one  often  becomes  over- 
anxious and  loses  his  freedom  of  style. 
To  eliminate  hope  and  fear  is  one  of  those 
seeming  impossibilities  which  comes  with 
practice. 

To  prevent  an  unnecessary  expendi- 
ture of  nerve  force,  treat  your  adversary  as 
a  nonentity  and  cultivate  callousness  of 
mental  fibre.  Do  not  be  disconcerted  if  he 
gets  longer  distances  and  do  not  try  to  over- 
take him.  Quietly  play  your  own  game, 
for  there  is  always  the  probability  of  his 


Suggestions. 


making  enough  mistakes  to  bring  him  back 
to  you. 

Do  not  hurry.  Hurrying  affects  the 
nerves  and  hurried  strokes  are  generally 
failures. 

Swing  easily  and  walk  slowly  and  your 
pulse  will  beat  more  regularly  when  you 
have  to  make  a  delicate  stroke  on  the  put- 
ting green. 

The  greater  the  tax  on  the  nerve  fibres 
the  more  studiously  one  should  avoid  ex- 
hausting them  ;  the  more  critical  the  situa- 
tion and  the  more  one  desires  to  have  the 
crisis  over,  the  more  deliberately  one 
should  play.  Therefore,  take  yourself  by 
the  head  and  keep  under  control  any  flut- 
tering nerve  or  an  uneven  pulse. 

Take  chances  when  you  are  behind. 
Playing  a  difficult  shot  sucessfully  will 
have  its  effect  upon  your  opponent. 

To  underrate  an  opponent  is  folly,  as 
golf  excels  all  other  games  in  its  uncer- 
tainties and,  in  more  than  any  other  game, 
there  is  that  mysterious  nerve  sensitiveness 
which  is  almost  sure  to  be  fatal  to  one  or 
the  other. 

If  you  wish  to  put  yourself  in  a  fit  con- 
'dition  for  a  hard  match,  read  a  book  before 
starting  out  and  take  with  you  a  water  bis- 
cuit or  some  chocolate  tablets  on  which  to 
feed  your  exhausted  nerves  and   muscles. 


Mental  Golf, 


Many  a  golfer  who  plays  his  best  game 
when  the  courage  of  despair  is  forced  upon 
him  is  unable  to  endure  success  with  equal- 
ly steady  nerves.  Shut  your  eyes,  there- 
fore, to  prosperity  and  adversity  alike  and 
go  through  the  match  in  happy  stupidity. 
It  is  this  characteristic  as  much  as  any 
other  which  gives  the  professional  his  great 
advantage. 

In  all  high  pressure  matches  where  each 
stroke  of  an  opponent  has  its  effect  upon 
one's  own  nerves,  the  mental  strain  is  too 
severe  to  expect  any  pleasure  while  the 
match  is  on.  The  pleasure,  however,  will 
be  all  the  greater  in  thinking  it  over  after- 
wards if  it  proves  to  be  a  victory. 

THINGS  WORTH  REMEMBERING. 

To  get  on  in  golf,  be  thoughtful.  Try 
to  discover  what  your  errors  are  and  when 
you  make  a  good  stroke  think  how  you  did 
it. 

Grasp  the  leather  lower  down  when 
your  clubs  run  away  with  you  as  this  helps 
the  leverage  and  makes  them  less  un- 
wieldy to  tired  wrists. 

Do  not  study  detail  enough  to  lose  free- 
dom of  action  or  be  so  scientific  as  to  lose 
all  dash. 

No  stroke  stands  by  itself.  Each  must 
be  considered  in  reference  to  the  next. 


Final  Hints. 
135 

Too  constant  practice  in  any  game  de- 
velops only  a  certain  set  of  muscles  and 
these  begin  to  lose  their  vigor  when  called 
too  frequently  into  use  and  one  becomes 
stale. 

The  better  one  lives,  the  better  are  the 
chances  of  success,  as  a  healthy  body 
makes  a  healthy  mind. 

Take  a  light  lunch  rather  than  a  heavy 
one  before  the  match,  as  a  heavy  lunch 
not  only  deadens  the  activity  of  the  mind 
but  is  apt  to  affect  the  eye. 

As  there  is  no  game  in  which  the  men- 
tal strain  is  as  great  as  in  golf,  do  not  play 
too  many  matches  and  in  this  way  use  up 
too  much  mental  energy. 

Remember  that  the  one  who  first  settles 
down  to  serious  business  will  have  just 
so  much  advantage  over  his  adversary. 
Concentrated  purpose  lies  at  the  bottom  of 
success. 

Remember  that  the  most  important  part 
of  the  game  is  the  first  few  holes,  as  most 
golfers  become  depressed  by  being  two  or 
three  holes  down  and  lose  that  confidence 
necessary  for  the  proper  execution  of  every 
stroke. 

Remember  that  "sure  things"  are  less 
frequently  to  be  found  in  golf  than  in  any 
other  game  ;  that  the  game  is  never  lost 
until  it  is  won  and  that  dogged  pluck  gen- 
erally wins  it. 


Mental  Golf. 

136 

Never  give  an  opponent  a  chance  to  win 
a  hole  through  carelessness  on  your  part 
and,  however  easy  the  match  may  seem,  al- 
ways play  your  best.  You  should  not  only 
want  to  win,  but  to  win  so  easily  that  only 
a  little  of  your  store  of  energy  will  be  used 
up.  Do  not,  therefore,  allow  a  weak  op- 
ponent to  bring  a  match  to  such  a  close 
finish  that  it  necessitates  any  waste  of 
energy. 

Remember  to  keep  in  mind  that  your 
adversary  does  not  beat  you  as  much  as  you 
beat  yourself;  that  it  is  the  mistakes  which 
he  makes  rather  than  the  good  shots  which 
you  make  which  decide  the  match.  Play 
your  own  game,  therefore,  without  thinking 

of  his  game  and  trust  to  his  mistakes  for 
& 

your  victory.  By  watching  his  play,  his 
good  strokes  are  apt  to  have  a  demoraliz- 
ing effect  on  your  strokes  and  his  bad 
strokes  are  apt  to  bring  about  such  a  feeling 
of  over-confidence  that  it  makes  one  care- 
less. Bear  in  mind  that  you  are  to  do  noth- 
ing heroic  ;  that,  if  you  keep  on  playing 
without  mistakes,  you  can  confidently  count 
on  his  making  enough  to  decide  the  match. 
Let  your  opponent's  mistakes  come  first  and 
the  business  is  over  and  the  match  won. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  use  extreme  caution 
as  one  always  cramps  himself  by  an  excess 
of  care.  It  is  for  this  reason  that,  when 
playing  carelessly,  one  generally  holes  his 


Dorits. 
137 

short  putts  with  far  greater  accuracy  than 
when  there  is  the  strain  of  an  important 
match. 

Assume  a  freedom  of  manner,  even  if 
it  belies  your  feelings.  In  time  you  will 
overcome  the  bugbear  and  can  play  with 
courage  as  well  as  with  indifference. 

In  practice  accustom  yourself  to  play- 
ing quickly  and  freely .  Accustom  yourself 
also  to  playing  slowly,  so  that  in  an  im- 
portant match  you  can  add  caution  to  your 
game  without  its  being  unnatural. 

In  a  tournament,  watch  the  play  of 
some  of  the  others  before  you  start.  By 
seeing  their  errors  your  blood  will  get  the 
right  golfing  circulation. 

When  practising  use  that  club  which 
gives  you  the  most  trouble  and  do  not  spend 
your  time  in  knocking  a  ball  about  with  the 
club  which  gives  you  the  most  satisfaction. 

DON'TS. 

Don't  refuse  to  play  with  one  whose 
handicap  is  much  greater  than  yours  or 
press  a  game  upon  one  whose  handicap  is 
much  less. 

Don't,  when  making  a  match,  try  to  get 
greater  odds  by  saying  that  your  handicap 
is  unfair. 

Don't  play  for  too  large  stakes,  as  it  is 
apt  to  cause  hard  feelings  and  to  lose  a 
friend.  T  here  is  enough  in  the  game 


(Mental  Golf. 

138 
itself  to  make  it  pay  for  the  time  given  to  it. 

Don't  move  about  or  stand  too  close  to 
your  opponent  when  he  is  driving  off,  and 
don't  talk  with  others  or  practise  swinging 
while  he  is  addressing  the  ball. 

Don't,  on  the  putting  green,  get  in  your 
opponent's  line  of  sight  or  stand  too  near 
him.  Keep  quiet  and  do  not  strike  matches. 

Don't,  if  you  miss  your  putt,  swear  about 
it, —  that  is,  out  loud.  It  is  not  only 
"contra  bonos  mores  "  but  is  bad  for  the 
caddy.  The  man  who  has  grit  enough  to 
refrain  from  swearing  has  grit  enough  to 
pull  himself  together. 

Don't  be  always  finding  fault  with  your 
own  bad  luck  and  your  opponent's  good 
luck. 

Don't  praise  your  own  good  shots. 
Leave  this  for  your  opponent  to  do.  On  the 
other  hand,  don't  crab  his  good  shots. 

Don't,  if  you  have  no  caddy,  order  your 
opponent's  caddy  about  as  if  you  were  pay- 
ing for  his  services.  Any  act  of  the  caddy 
is  a  courtesy  extended  to  you  by  your  op- 
ponent. 

Don't,  if  you  are  playing  a  slow  game 
and  a  faster  couple  is  behind,  fail  to  ask 
them  to  pass.  It  will  be  more  comfort- 
able for  all.  Elderly  golfers  who  seem  to 
feel  that  it  is  humiliating  to  have  others 
pass  them  should  realize  that  elderly  fooz- 
ling is  not  interesting  to  watch. 


Don'ts. 


139 

Don't,  when  you  miss  an  easy  putt  be- 
cause you  were  too  jolly  lazy  to  take  any 
pains,  say  to  your  opponent,  "of  course,  I 
will  give  you  the  hole  if  you  insist  upon  it." 


Lost  ball. 


INDEX. 


Page. 

ADDRESSING  BALI, 28 

APPROACHING 

In  general           ......  58 

Bent  arm  stroke         .....  79 

Cutting  approach  stroke          ...  96 

Full  swing,  stiff  arm  stroke     ...  64 

Half  swing,  stiff  arm  stroke     ...  70 

Jerk  stroke 89 

Quarter  swing,  stiff  arm  stroke       .         .  73 

Running  approach. stroke         .         .         .  100 

Stiff  arm  stroke         .....  64 

Summary  of  stiff  and  bent  arm  strokes  86 

Three  quarter  swing,  stiff  arm   stroke  67 

Wrist  swing,  stiff  arm  stroke  ...  76 

APPROACHING  IRONS       ,        .        .        .        .  58 

ARMS,  the         .......  87 

BACKWARD  SPIN  GIVEN  BALL       ...  79 

BACKWARD  SWING  WHEN  DRIVING      .        .  30 

BAFFINt'r 6 

BAFFY  SPOON 4 

BALANCE  OF  CLUB  ......  28 

BALL  IN  WATER 108 

"BENT  ARM  APPROACHING  STROKE       .        .  61,  79 

BILLIARD  BALL •  48 

BODY, the          .     ,   .        .        .        .        .        .  28 

BRASSY,  the 9 

BULGER,  the .  8 

BUNKERS 106 

CARELESSNESS         .       .        .       .       .       .127 

CHECKING  THE  SWING 64 

CHOP  STROKE •  89 


I42 

Page. 

K,  the 10 

CUTTING  APPROACH  STROKE,  the         .        .  96 

DIAGRAMS 

backward  spin  of  ball       .         .         .  37,  79 

bent  arm  strokes        .         .                  .  79,  80 

bulger  and   the  spin   given  ball     .         .  9 

cutting  approach  strokes          .         .         .  97,  98 

different  swings         .         .         .         .         .  104 

ellipse  and  circle  swings .         .         .  14,  36 

forward  spin  of  ball          .         .         .  20,  37 
hooking      ........        48 

jerk  stroke         .         .         .         .         .  90,  91,  93,  95 

law  regulating  the  stance  and  swing      .  102 

position  of  ball  in  reference  to  feet      .  19 

pulling 46,  47 

putting  off  left  leg    .         .         .         .         .116 

putting  off  right  leg          .         .         .         .  114 

putting  with  pendulum  stroke         .         .  117 

running  approach  strokes        .         .         .  100 

slicing                  43,  44 

stance  for  driving  .....  21 
stance  with  position  of  feet  and  ball  for 

all  the  swings 102 

stiff  arm  stroke,  full  swing      ...  65 

stiff  arm  stroke,  three-quarter  swing     .  68 

stiff  arm  stroke,  haii"  swing    ...  71 

stiff  arm  stroke,  quarter  swing        .         .  74 

stiff  arm  stroke,  wrist  swing    ...  77 

summary  of  slicing,  pulling,  and  topping  .  50 
sweep  of  driver,  brassy,  and  cleek  .  n 
sweep  of  club  for  all  the  different 

strokes         .         .         .         .         .         .  .  100 

topping 49 

upward  and  downward  spin  of  ball         .  37 

DIFFERENCES  BETWEEN  STIFF  AND  BENT 

ARM  STROKES  .        .        .        .        .        .  84 

DISCORD -  .  12,29,31,33 

DISTANCE   TO    STAND    FROM   BALI,    WHEN 

DRIVING    .......  15 

DONT'S     .        .        -                .        .        .  130 

DRIVER,  the     .                 6 


H3 

Page. 

DRIVING  12 

Backward  swing        .....  30 

Balance 20,  29 

Distance  to  stand  from  ball      .         .         .  15 

Follow  through         .                  .         .         .  34 

Forward  swing           .....  32 

Grip    ........  22 

Hints  about  driving          ....  39 

Keeping  eye  on  ground  back  of  ball        .  36 

Position  of  ball         .....  18 

Position  of  feet          .....  15 

Stance 13 

Summary  of  stance           ....  21 

Turning  feet  out       .....  17 

ELASTICITY  OF  BALL  WITH  THE  CONCUSSION  34 

ELLIPSE  SWING 14,  15,  36 

EXPERT  GOLFERS 103 

EYE  INSTRUCTIONS no 

EYE   ON    BACK    OF   BALL                ....  36 

FACE  OF  CLUB,  the 4 

FAIR  GREEN,  the 5 

FLIGHT  OF  BALL     .        .        .        ...  37, 88 

FOLLOW  THROUGH  WHEN  DRIVING      .        .  34 

FORWARD  SPIN  ON  BALL       ....  20 

FORWARD  SWING  WHEN  DRIVING        .        .  32 

FULL  SWING 64 

GAME  OF  GOLF,  the i 

GREEN,  the 5 

GOLDEN  RULES 104 

GOLF  BALLS i 

GRIP,  the 4,  87 

GRIP  WHEN  APPROACHING     ....  87 

GRIP  WHEN  DRIVING 22 

GRIP  WHEN  PUTTING      .        .        .        .114,115,117 

HANDLE,  the 4 

HALF  SWING 35,  70 

HEAD  OF  CLUB,  the 4,  6 

HEEL  OF  CLUB,  the       .....  4 


144 

Page. 

HIGH  GRASS 106 

HINTS  ABOUT  DRIVING          ....  39 

HITTING  THE  BALL 

Above  centre     ......  48 

Below  centre      ......  37 

In  the  centre 100 

To  left  of  centre        .         .         .         .         .  44 

To  right  of  centre 46 

HOLDING  THE  DRIVER 22 

HOOKING           .        .        .        .        .        .        .  48, 58 

HOSE  OF  CLUB,  the 5 

IMPETUS  GIVEN  BALL     .        .        .        .        .  32,  34 

IRONS        ........  58 

JERK  STROKE          ......  89 

KEEPING  BYE  ON  GROUND  .  36 

LAZINESS          .......  126 

LIE  OF  BALL,  the 5 

LIE  OF  CLUB,  the    ...         ...  5 

LOFTER,  the     .        .        ....       .       .  59 

LONG  SPOON    .......  4 

MASHIE,  the     .         .         .        .        .         .         .  59 

MECHANICAL  MOVEMENTS            v        .        .  14 

MENTAL  CALIBRE   .        ...        .        .  29 

MENTAL  PART  OF  GOLF        .  '     .        .        .  126 

MID-IRON,  the          .        .        .        -        .        .  59 

MID  SPOON       .......  4 

MOMENTUM  OF  BODY      .        ....        .  20 

MUSCLES,  the .   30,  131 

NECK  OF  CLUB,  the         .....  4 

NERVOUSNESS          .        .        .        .        .        .  128 

NIBLICK,  the    .......  59 

NOSE  OF  CLUB,  the 4 

POSITION  OF  BALL  WHEN  DRIVING     .        .  18 

POSITION  OF  FEET  WHEN  DRIVING      .        .  15 


Page. 

PHOTOGRAPHS 

grip  bent  arm  stroke         .  81 

"     bent  arm  wrist  stroke       ...  83 
"     driving       .         .         .         .23,  24,  25,  26,  27 

"     interlocking  fingers           ...  26 

"     overlapping  fingers           ...  26 

"     pendulum  stroke      .         .         .         .  117 

"     putting 114 

"     stiff  arm  strokes       ....  66 

"     stiff  arm  wrist  stroke        ...  78 

PRACTICE 15 

PRELIMINARY  WAGGLE,  the  ....  28 

PRESSURE  OF  THE  AIR          .        .        .        .  •        42 

PROFESSIONALS 129,  134 

PULLING 5,  46 

PURCHASING  BALLS 3 

PUTTER,  the 109 

PUTTING 109 

Off  left  leg 115 

Off  right  leg 113 

Pendulum  stroke 116 

With  cleek  or  putting  cleek    .         .         .  118 

PUTTING  GREEN,  the 5 

QUARTER  SWING 73 

RUNNING  APPROACH  STROKE,  the         .        .  100 

RHYTHM           .        .        .        .        .        .        .  12,  14 

SAND 106 

SCARE  OF  CLUB,  the 5 

SCLAFFING 6,  39 

SHAFT,  the 6 

SHRINKING 40, 45, 94 

SHORT  SPOON 4 

SIDE  HILL  LIES 

when  line  of  flight  is  along  the  hill  and 

the  stance  above  the  ball  .  .  57 

when  the  line  of  flight  is  along  the  hill 

and  the  stance  below  the  ball  .  .  56 

when  the  line  of  flight  is  down  hill       .  56 

when  the  line  of  flight  is  up  hill    .         .  55 


146 

Page. 

SLICING    ...                       ...  5,  42 

SOLE  OF  CLUB,  the          .                ...  4 

SPOON, the        .......  4 

SPRING  OF  CLUB 7 

SLOW  BACK 32 

STANCE,  the 5,  13,  21 

STANCE  FOR  DRIVING 13 

STIFF  ARM  APPROACHING  STROKE        .        .  61,64 

STIMIES    ........  123 

STYLE 103,  134 

SUMMARY  OF  STANCE  WHEN  DRIVING  .        .  21 
SUMMARY  OF  DRIVING  STROKE     ...  38  . 
SUMMARY  OF  SLICING,  PULLING  AND  TOP- 
PING         .        .  -  50 

SUMMARY    STIFF    ARM    AND    BENT    ARM 

STROKES    .    • 86 

SWAYING           .......  126 

SWING  OF  CLUB 

when  approaching    .         .         .                  .  88 

"       driving    .         .         .         .         .         .  14,  30 

"       putting   ......  109 

TECHNICAL  WORDS 4 

TEE,  the 5 

TEEING  BALL 13 

TEEING  GROUND,  the 5 

THINGS  NOT  TO  DO 130 

THINGS  WORTH  REMEMBERING     .        .        .  134 

THOUGHTLESSNESS 126 

THREE-QUARTER  SWING         .        .        .        .  67 

TIMING  THE  SWING 32 

TOE  OF  CLUB,  the 4 

TOPPING  .        .        .        .        .        •        •        .  6,  48 

TURNING  THE  FEET  OUT         -       •       •       •  J7 

VELOCITY  OF  SWING 32 

WAGGLE,  the  .        .        .        .        .        .        .  28 

WATER IC8 

WEIGHT,  BALANCE,  AND  SPRING  IN  DRIVER.  7 

WHIPPING  OF  CLUB,  the         ....  5 

WILL  POWER 29,  60 


H7 

Page. 

WIND 51 

from  behind 51,  53 

from  in  front 52,  53 

from  left  to  right 54 

from  right  to  left      .....  54 

when  blowing  diagonally   towards   the 

hole 53 

when  blowing  diagonally  towards   the 

player 53 

WRIST  STROKE 76,  82 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 


Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


REC'O  L.O 

AUG1    1960 
DEC    81980-1 


C18- 


REC.CIR. 


LD  21-100m-9,'48(B399sl6)476 


9642 


